The Love Contest
by Ootori1459
Summary: What starts out as Edo-Juvia's mysterious arrival to Earthland evolves into a jealous love contest. Rivals Edo- and Earth-Juvia fight to win Gray's love (thanks, Mira!) The prize? The ice mage himself, if they're lucky. But soon something else appears. Something much more dangerous than a simple love contest. Something that could steal both their love and their lives away...
1. Counterparts

**Chapter 1: Counterparts**

* * *

><p><strong><em>Hi! I'm Ootori1459... hope you enjoy the upcoming suspense! It's mostly romantic rivalry and a bit of adventure, too...<em>  
><strong>

**_Enjoy!  
><em>**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail..._**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1: Counterparts<strong>

It was a busy day in Edolas' top guild. Fairy Tail was buzzing with voices, people, excitement... Juvia looked around, smiling at the live beehive of noise. Lucy and Levy were screaming over something, with Natsu squealing at Lucy's feet. Jet and Droy, the strongest mages in the guild, were picking on that weakling Elfman as usual. And Gray, the Ever-Freezing, was begging Juvia to let him accompany her on a mission.

"Sorry, Gray," she teased with a smile. "Your bulk of clothes is too distracting."

"Come on, Juvia! You never let me join you," he complained, sticking a hand in one of his jacket pockets. He was covered in layers and accessories, from head to toe. On the other hand, Juvia was donned with a snazzy tank top, with short, stylish trousers and comfortable flip-flops. Her arms and most of her legs were bare, just the way she liked it, without having to bear the uncomfortable addition of extra clothes.

"You get chilled too easily. Take off some layers and _then_ come back to me," Juvia said. Gray pouted and plopped down on a chair. Juvia rolled her eyes and snatched a job request from the board.

Ever since His Highness Jellal Fernandes came to the throne and freed all the guilds to earn a living, Fairy Tail was booming with job offers.

Juvia was an eccentric, reckless, strong female who was able to do almost any mission, and proud of it. The one she'd chosen this time was a warrant for arresting some black-market illegal sellers, guaranteed to be a hair-raising thriller!

She stepped out onto the street, which was filled with happy shoppers. It'd taken a little getting-used to, but everyone eventually adapted to Jellal's magic-less world. Of course, it was still up to Edolas' guilds to do missions for the kingdom's citizens.

Juvia strode down an alley, heading for the first place to go for her mission.

Suddenly, a white light beamed in front of her. It was tiny at first, then grew in glowing brilliance.

She gasped, and jumped backwards. Something was wrong. This is... _magic...__  
><em>

_Wait. Magic?!_ _What's magic doing _here_, in a magic-less universe?! _Juvia had only a second to think before her body was suddenly sucked into the swirling portal without warning.

All around her was light. It was as if she was floating in the brightness. She closed her eyes, trying to block out the blinding light.

Suddenly, her feet hit something hard, and she stumbled onto the hard ground. Getting up and dusting herself off, Juvia looked around, her eyes adjusting to the scenery around her.

Cherry trees, bursting with rainbow colours, lined the street as a divider, with two benches leaning against each one for people to relax. On one side of the road were tall and short buildings. On the other was the river, on which some boats were bobbing up and down on. Juvia noticed there wasn't even a fence to protect little children from falling in!

_Where am I?!_

"Juvia?" a puzzled, masculine voice said. Somehow, it sounded awfully familiar...

She turned around. "Gray!" she exclaimed, then looked closer. "Where are your layers?"

"'Layers'?" repeated Gray, baffled, then looked down. "Yikes! Why do I keep stripping automatically?" he muttered angrily to himself.

"Keep stripping automatically?" Juvia was in puzzled agony. "What in the world are you talking about? And why aren't you begging me to take you on a mission?"

"What_ I'm _talking about?! More like what are _you_ talking about. Beg you to take me on a mission? Why in the world would I do that? And why do you have so little clothes on?" shot back Gray.

Just then, a new voice broke into their conversation. "Hey, I'm not genius, but you guys are mistaking each other for someone else." It was a tall, pretty blonde with a short skirt and a light pink t-shirt. The girl peered closer. "Although," she added. "you _do_ look a lot like Juvia."

"I _am_ Juvia!" exclaimed Juvia automatically. _This girl looks a lot like Lucy, except for the bossy, tough-girl attitude,_ she thought.

The Lucy-look-alike stared at her. Suddenly her eyes widened, and she gasped. "You must be... Juvia from Edolas!" She grinned and stuck out a hand. "Welcome to the village of Magnolia, in Earthland!"

Now Juvia understood. _Maybe I can use this to my advantage... _"So," she said slyly, edging toward Gray instead of her rival Lucy (even though Earthland Lucy wasn't all hot-shot like Edo-Lucy was). "Why don't you show me around the guild?"_I'd better get this awesome, cool hunk of a Gray away from that Earth-Lucy. Who knows? They're hanging around each other, so that must mean that... Whatever. I'll have him eating out of my hand in no time!_ Juvia thought smugly.

Gray blinked, and glanced at Lucy, who was trying not to laugh. "Uh..." he said, turning back to Juvia.

"Thank you! Now, where shall we go first?" Juvia squealed without letting him answer, tucking her arm in Gray's. He gulped.

"Well, I'll show you our main guild area, with the restaurant and everything," he offered. "It's that way." He pointed with his free arm.

"Kyaah!" Juvia shrieked excitedly, and yanked on Gray's arm. "Let's go!"

Gray sighed as he was dragged along the street. _This is gonna be a looong day..._

Lucy snickered.

* * *

><p>Juvia hummed to herself as she sat at a table, dreamily awaiting the moment her love would step through the guild door. She fingered the box that sat on the table. It was filled with a delicious bento that she'd poured her heart and soul into making it that morning. Rice, nigiri, maki, and two tiny dollops of wasabi.<p>

"...this is our barmaid, Mira Jane. She runs the guild restaurant," she heard a familiar, welcome voice explain nearby. _Kyaa!_ she squealed to herself. _Gray..._

Juvia stood up so abruptly that she knocked over Cana's barrel of sake.

"Hey!" said the constant drinker, but Juvia was already rushing away with the box of bento in her arms.

"Gray!" she opened her mouth to call, but stopped suddenly in her tracks. The box of bento came crashing to the floor.

There, grasping her love's arms and laughing with him, was a tall, lovely, blue-haired intruder.

_Who in the WORLD IS SHE?! When Juvia finds out, she is going to KILL HER!_ screamed Juvia in her head.

She stomped over to the pair, who were now starting to leave the counter where they'd been talking to Mira. Then Juvia paused again.

_That girl has blue hair... familiar-looking eyes... Her face looks awfully familiar, too._ Juvia frowned. That girl looked... an awful lot like _her._

Her eyes widened. "Juvia from Edolas!" she gasped aloud. The girl shot around, and Juvia caught her breath.

In front of her stood a familiar pretty face. Her own face.

"Uh-uumm..." Juvia's voice faltered, unsure of what to say.

"Who are-" Then she paused, her face twisting to form a sudden look of confused realization.

"Wait a second... You're my Earthland counterpart!" exclaimed the girl.


	2. The Contest

**Chapter 2: The Contest  
><strong>  
><em>"You're my Earthland counterpart!" exclaimed the girl.<em>

"And you're stealing my Gray-sama," replied Juvia, her dark navy eyes flashing dangerously. Edo-Juvia gulped, then regained control.

"So what? I'm here now, so you can scat!" hissed Edo-Juvia.

"Juvia was here first. Besides, why would you deserve him? You can't even use magic," Juvia retorted. Edo-Juvia winced.

"Maybe not, but I'm the champion in physical offence." She lifted both fists, clenched.

"Uh, honestly I get that this is sorta, you know, confusing, but I don't think you guys should be, you know, fighting...?" Gray suggested nervously. Lucy, who had heard the commotion and moved toward them, nodded.

"You said something?" Edo-Juvia said sweetly, turning to him.

"Yeah! He was telling you to cut it out, Fat-Fists!" said Juvia.

"You wanna go at it?"

"Why not? Juvia would beat you any day. Water Slicer-" Juvia began to yell, but was suddenly cut off by Lucy stepping in front of her.

"Move!" both blue-haired rivals screamed at her.

"No." The celestial mage stood firm. "You guys are the same person (technically)! You shouldn't act like that."

"Yeah!" squealed Mira Jane, (who could smell a love fest miles away) jumping into the conversation. "I propose a Love Contest."

"A 'Love Contest'?" repeated Edo-Juvia, dumbstrucken. "That's..."

"Are you too chicken to try it?" Juvia sniffed.

"No way!" Edo-Juvia grinned. "You're _so_ on, Rain-Face."

"The rules are simple," Mira put in hastily before the girls started fighting again. "Do everything you can to win Gray's heart - but _without_ fighting each other. Whenever one of you does something he likes, Gray will come to me and tell me who. I will then give a point to the person who did the favour. But if he reports that one of you fought each other or insulted each other or in plain does something he _doesn't_ like, then you lose a point. Whoever has the most points by the end of the week wins."

"Ooh, awesome! I bet I win," Edo-Juvia hissed happily. She let go of Gray and stepped forward, a gleam lighting her confident eyes. Gray took the chance to escape out of the conversation.

"Trust Mira to think of something idiotically romantic like that," Lucy added, rolling her eyes.

* * *

><p>Gray leaned against a supporting pillar at the side of the main dining hall, panting heavily. Sweat dripped from his neck and down his chest. <em>It's a good thing I got away from those love-sick freaks. One Juvia is enough, I don't need two!<em>

"Hey, you okay?" a voice asked him. His head snapped up, then Gray sighed in relief.

"Oh, it's only you, Natsu."

"What's that supposed to mean, icehead?" shouted Natsu angrily.

"Sh-h-h, not so loud! They'll hear you." Gray jerked his head in the direction of the blue-haired maniacs, who were chatting with Mira and Lucy.

"Huh?" Natsu peered closer at the four. "Who's _she_? Wait a sec, since when did Juvia have a twin sister?"

"She's Juvia from Edolas," panted Gray. He quickly explained. "...When I left them, Mira was starting to talk about some Love Contest. The rules are that I have to report all their little pamperings to Mira, who'll give them points or deduct 'em," he finished. "Winner is the one with most points."

"Sounds fun," smirked Natsu. Gray moaned.

"It's going to be a nightmare."

"Haha... well you know, if you want help you can ask me." Natsu said with a casual shrug.

"What...?" Gray blinked and stared at him.

"Don't worry about a thing. You know, you _can_ always escape to Mira to get a break from them. They'll gladly let you go, if they think it's for points," Natsu said. "And we can always think of ways to be cruel to them," he added wickedly.

"Since when did you become a genius who liked to help your eternal rival?" said Gray suspiciously. Natsu shrugged and folded his arms against his chest.

"Hey, it's nice to see you in love trouble for once."

"Yeah, right. Like you're one to talk. I don't see any fangirls swooning at your feet," shot Gray.

"Very funny. But maybe that's better than having two persistent Juvias stalking you day and night."

Gray sighed. "Yeah, you're right." Then he grinned. "C'mon, let's plan!"

* * *

><p>"...Got that? The contest will start tomorrow. For now, Gray will show Edo-Juvia-" Mira paused as Edo-Juvia frowned, disliking the unusual title.<p>

"I think it'd be easier if you had different names," Mira said, nodding.

"I'm Juvia!" chorused the two Juvias in unison. They frowned and glared at each other.

Mira sweatdropped.

"Um... be right back," Lucy piped, and dashed away.

* * *

><p>Levy smiled as she turned another page.<p>

_...Tears rolled down her face as she crumpled to the ground in front of her love's deathstone. "Why did you have to leave me?" she wailed. A tear splashed onto the faded grass covering the tomb. "Why?"_

"Levy?"

"Agh!" Levy slapped her book shut and whisked around. "Gajeel, stop-"

Lucy stared at her in confusion.

"Oh!" Levy blushed. "Hi, Lu-san."

"Sorry, did I interrupt..." The blond celestial mage gestured to the book Levy clasped in her hands.

"N-no," muttered Levy quickly. "What is it?"

Lucy explained, "I've got a favour to ask you. Juvia from Edolas suddenly appeared today through some mysterious magic portal. She and Juvia are now competing to see who can win Gray, and Mira came up with the idea of a love contest. Anyway, what I wanted to ask was, can you think of any new names so that no one gets confused by which Juvia is who? For now we've been calling Edo-Juvia, well, Edo-Juvia, but it's like having someone call you Earth-Levy," explained Lucy.

"Hmph. That would be annoying," said Levy thoughtfully. She looked up. "Sure, I can help. I think I've got just the thing for them."

* * *

><p>"Where in the world did Lucy go?" mumbled Mira.<p>

"Does that matter?" Edo-Juvia sniffed.

Suddenly the blonde mage returned, with a smiling, messy-haired Levy.

"Hi!" Levy exclaimed, nodding as she glanced at the two Juvias. "Lucy told me everything. Well, I have your solution. Juvia' in Azerbaijani - that's a language from a country in the East - translates to 'Mi'. Isn't that cute? Who wants it?"

The two Juvias paused and looked at each other.

"We can lengthen it to 'Mimi," Levy offered.

"..."

"..."'

"Okay, well, maybe not," Levy said sheepishly. Lucy saw her friend's uncomfort and immediately put in, "Levy, why don't you research on the portal that brought Edo-Juvia here? That way we can see how to get her back to her homeland and understand how something magical entered Edolas, and help Mystogan-ah, that is, Jellal, to destroy such portals."

"Oh, okay. I know the perfect place to look," Levy said brightly, her eyes lighting up. She dashed away.

"Anyway, moving on," Mira said after Levy'd left. "Today, Gray will show, uh, _this_ Juvia around the guild, so she can get to know it - and the town - better. To buy gifts and go out to restaurants, of course. However you'd like to spend your contest time," explained Mira. "During that time, if any of you wants to suggest a name, then that's perfectly fine." She looked around. "Ah... Gray's not here. I guess Lucy can show you around, then!" said Mira cheerfully.

"What?!" Lucy exclaimed. She had been planning to go shopping. _Ai... I guess my plans are all out the window, now. How did I get myself into this mess?_ "Well... okay."

Edo-Juvia looked slightly crestfallen, then sniffed and pranced past Lucy. "Come on, then. You have to show me everywhere, so I can make plans for me and Gray." Lucy sighed and hurried after her.

Juvia's mouth was in a thin, determined line. _Juvia can do this!_ she told herself. _She will prove to the world that Grey-sama deserves her, and only her! No one can interrupt Juvia and Gray's love. Juvia will show that other Juvia that she is right and she is wrong!_

* * *

><p><strong>That last sentence lol... 0^0/**


	3. Playin Tour Guide

**Chapter 3: Playin' Tour Guide**

"Ooh, do you think this one's nice?" Edo-Juvia squealed, lifting up a shimmery blue summer gown.

"Go ahead, try it on," replied Lucy. As the blue-haired girl disappeared into a changing room, Lucy sighed. The two's whole wild tour-guide romp was more like a girl walking her dog... except it was all going wrong. Since their exit from the guild, Juvia had been dragging Lucy everywhere. Instead of a peaceful, agreeable tour of the town, the town-wide strip was going more like this:

_Juvia: What's that? (points to building at side of road)_

_Lucy: It's Blooming Salsa [or whatever it was]. Lots of girls like to get their clothes there._

_Juvia: Oooh! If it's popular, then let's go in! (mumbles to herself) Gray-sama will be pleased I am going through all this trouble._

_Lucy: Okay..._

_Juvia: Lalala... Hey, Lucy look-alike-san! Carry this!_

_Lucy: Uh... okay...(takes clothes, mutters) Why do I have to be her shopping slave?_

_Juvia: What was that?_

_Lucy: N-nothing..._

_Juvia: Good! Now carry this!_

_Lucy: =*GROAN!*=_

Lucy rolled her eyes at the present memories and staggered over to a handy indoor bench. She dropped the clothes with a soft thud onto the bench and rested her aching limbs and arms.

_Gray-sama this, Gray-sama that!_ the celestial mage thought bitterly. Why couldn't she calm down and be more considerate, that self-loving, blue-haired magic-less sissy! _Okay, now I'm being mean_, she told herself. But that Edolas intruder was mean, too. Or at least ignorant, selfish, and ungrateful. After all, should she be a bit more friendly Lucy _was_ the one paying for everything the blue-haired girl bought.

"There! How do I look?" Edo-Juvia popped out of the changing room and into Lucy's face.

The short-skirted Edolas guild member looked gorgeous in that shimmering blue dress that had two small cuts on the sides to give more freedom to her legs, and really let out the colour in her brilliant navy eyes.

"Uh..." Lucy had to admit, she _did _look good. More than good. _Modellicious_ was the real word.

"Yeesh, cat got your tongue? Tell me how I look!"

"It looks... nice on you," Lucy said graciously, not wanting to let the girl her true, almost envious feelings.

"Thanks," said Edo-Juvia in a sticky-sweet voice, obviously not meaning it as much as she would if Lucy were Gray..

_Whatever. _"Here, let's look for shoes that would match that," offered Lucy, switching the subject in her mind..

"Okay. Let me change first." Edo-Juvia slipped back into the changing room.

* * *

><p>"First, let's bomb 'em with fireballs."<p>

"Nah! Too flimsy, flameface. Let's drive the Juvias away with icicles."

"Oh, yeah? And you think your little ice hammers would stand a match against my flaming dragon balls? Stop playing with baby toys."

"What're ya saying about my ice making?"

"I'm saying fire can melt ice, but ice can't freeze fire! Fire's a fighter."

"Yeah, a _dead_ fighter if I have a say in that!"

"What if you DON'T have a say in it!"

"Then I'll just pound your face into a pancake."

As usual, Natsu and Gray were in a fight. And although they were in an abandoned alley (they'd planned their meeting as a secret planning meeting to get the Juvias off of Gray's back), it didn't look like it'd be abandoned for long.

"You guys, if you want me to help, you'd better shut up like clams."

The two boys whipped around at the voice.

"Levy!"

"I can help you drag them away and stuff! Well, especially Edo-Juvia, anyway. I'm researching what mysterious portal brought her here and all that stuff," Levy said, beaming. "I can pull her away when you're getting too annoyed. And Natsu's idea is pretty good stuff, too."

Natsu and Gray stared at her. "You've been stalking us?" Gray said, stunned. Levy giggled.

"Well, you two aren't exactly the quietest pair in Fairy Tail. I couldn't help but jump into your case."

The ice and fire mages looked at each other, then back at Levy. "Okay," Natsu said.

"I'm in?"

"You're in," said Gray.

"Great!" She quickly walked closer and leaned down in the dirt. "Here. I was thinking you could sit at a table, and when they finally come up to you, I'll be standing _here_ and Natsu will be standing _there_..." The gears clacked and turned in her head.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Mira!" said Wendy, entering the guild and wandering over to the barmaid's counter with Carla close on her tail. Mira kept on wiping dishes. "Uh, Mira?" Wendy leaned forward and tapped the mage on the shoulder.<p>

"Wha-" Mira jerked, then relaxed into her normal smile. "Hi, Wendy."

"Is something wrong?" Wendy was about to ask, then Carla butted in.

"What's wrong with you?" she muttered in that serious, cross voice she had. Wendy rolled her eyes. _Carla, straight to the point as usual._

"No, not at all. I was just thinking too much for my own good." Mira laughed.

Wendy wasn't sure what that meant, but shrugged it off and instead asked for a glass of lemonade. Mira filled a glass, handed it to her, and watched as sorceress and Exceed moved away.

"Now, back to my plans." She picked up her towel and reached for the same dish as she was wiping before. For secrecy, she'd hidden a special pen in the folds of the towel, enabling her to secretly work on her plans, because the pen was able to write on plastic surfaces. To erase, she simply used the towel to wipe off useless plans. _Hehe, poor plans of mine will ensure him a _wonderful_ time! Especially for the Juvias. Obviously Gray will come to me looking for relief from the blue-hairs. But I guess I'll only let him stay a second or so... _Mira grinned devilishly to herself.

Lucy stumbled over a pebble. "Wait for me, Ed-, ah, Juvia!" she called. Edo-Juvia looked back over her shoulder on the stone-paved street.

"Hurry up," she said grumpily, stopping in her tracks. Lucy shifted her shopping bundle in her arms and gratefully caught up.

"Hey-" Edo-Juvia pulled on Lucy's arm, sending the bundle of clothes avalanching to the ground. As Lucy groaned and reached to pick them up, the blue-haired, Gray-sama fanatic opened her mouth. "What's _that?" _She pointed.

"Huh? Oh. That's the barber's shop. Can't you read?" Lucy said, annoyed. She took her time gathering the loose skirts and tops into her arms again. Instantly Edo-Juvia, who hadn't heard the blonde's last comment or had chosen to ignore it, bolted in the direction of the barber's.

"Juvia must get the latest fashionable hairdo in Magnolia!" Lucy heard her squeal as her feet pounded into the barber shop. Waddling after her, Lucy entered the building.

A few hours later, Edo-Juvia came out of the shop tossing her shiny, wavy new blue hair with Lucy staggering behind.


	4. The First Day: Morning

**Chapter 4: The First Day: Morning**

Juvia glanced over her image in the mirror.

"Raindrop earrings... check. ... check. Knee-high boots... check." She sighed with satisfaction. "Juvia hopes Gray-sama likes the trouble I've gone through. This shirt feels so weird, and Juvia doesn't feel nice in such short shorts. But," she continued to herself. "Gray-sama is an ice mage, and ice mages like cold, like my Edolas counterpart."

Juvia had gone to special measures for Gray. Her thin, pale blue t-shirt had only one sleeve, and her legs were practically bare. On her feet were flipflops, and her earrings were large, blue raindrop-shaped sapphires, already very outgoing for the dreamy, almost shy water mage.

She had even run out yesterday to cut her hair in the latest Magnolia style, however uncomfortable it had been to look in the mirror and see a totally different person. Actually, Juvia was surprised how light and flowy it felt afterwards - almost like liquid.

"Juvia?"

She whisked around, then smiled to see Lucy. Even though the blonde celestial mage seemed to be chasing Gray too, she wasn't as bold and nasty as her counterpart was.

"What are you doing?" Lucy had a puzzled expression. _Probably to be seeing me in this outfit,_ Juvia told herself. The thought sent shivers up her spine, but also gave her a slightly pleased feeling.

"Juvia is preparing to meet Gray-sama, of course." Her cheeks warmed.

"Oh, right." Lucy nodded. It was then that Juvia noticed her tired look.

"I stayed up late showing Edo-Juvia the night clubs," answered Lucy, rolling her eyes. "She never seems to be grateful for anything I say."

Juvia was glad to see that one of her fellow guild members felt annoyed about her Edolas rival.

"Juvia is not like that, is she?" Juvia asked, trying to conceal her smile.

"Compared to _that_ bimbo, you're the nicest person I know."

"Thank you, Lucy."

"I meant it," added the blonde.

Juvia glanced at the clock.

"Uh-oh. Gray-sama will be arriving at the guild in ten minutes, thirty-two seconds. I have to hurry!" Juvia reached for her raincoat, then shook her head and dashed out the door.

"Whoa. A new outfit, without her usual raincoat? And how in the world did she memorize when Gray gets to the guild every morning?" Lucy muttered to herself.

Juvia burst into the guild, panting. She checked the guild clock, and sighed, relieved. She was two minutes early. Only two minutes to smooth down her flyaway hair and wrinkled clothing!

"Whoa, calm down, beautiful," said a voice calmly. Juvia jerked her head up.

There stood a tall, confident silver-haired gangster-type, with an alluring, cheeky smile. He donned a white t-shirt, ripped jeans, and one stud earring in his right ear. He leaned on one leg and smiled.

"What?" Juvia heard herself say faintly.

"Nothing. You just look a little confused. Y'know, lost." He shrugged.

"Oh. Okay." She was still puzzled. Who was this stranger, and why had he approached her, of all the guild members, to talk to? She was sitting at a table near the back of the guild; definitely not the first person a stranger would see.

"Is that a wig?"

Juvia snapped back to reality. The stranger gestured at her hair.

"Are you calling Juvia's hair an ugly wig?" hissed Juvia ferociously. Wasn't this the newest 'do in Magnolia? And how could anything blue be disgusting?

"No!" The stranger lifted his hands in surrender. "I just meant..." He reached over and gently stroked a strand of her silky hair. "It's beautiful."

Juvia blushed. "Oh..." She felt goosebumps on her bare arm as his hands accidentally brushed the back of her neck. Although he was such an outgoing guy and could never replace her Gray-sama, Juvia couldn't help but think, _He _is_ pretty good-looking..._

She immediately mentally-slapped herself. _'Good-looking'? Juvia, remember you have Gray-sama! Don't think about anyone else, or he will think you are unfaithful._

"Stop... please," she begged, before he could tempt her anymore. His hands froze for a moment, then went on.

"Why should I, beautiful as you are..." He paused. "What's your name, lovely?"

Juvia shuddered. Should she tell him? The handsome stranger would be even more intent on stalking her, if she told him too much about herself. But...

"J-Juvia..."

"Juvia," he repeated. He smiled, and his black orbs gleamed. "It fits you perfectly."

The blunette felt a shiver worm up her spine again. _Why do I feel something frightening is about to happen?_

Gray shifted in his bed, moaning. It was rather hard for him to sleep in on purpose, to his surprise. He reminded himself of the two blue-haired Juvias fawning over him the day before, and thought, _No matter what, this is definitely not worth getting up early for._

Gray sighed. It'd been sort of fun at first, having secret bento meals flung his way and knowing he had a personal fangirl who'd willingly clean his laundry the moment he opened his mouth. He'd actually known - well, he had a pretty big hunch who it was. Obviously.

But after that, it evolved into something more. Something almost annoying.

"Totally annoying," Gray corrected himself. He glanced at the clock.

11:13 AM.

Time to get up! He couldn't stand the taste of dry saliva in his mouth anymore.

Lucy strode down the street. She had headed back her home after leaving Juvia's to fix her hair a little better.

"Lucy?"

"Hi Ed- I mean, hi Juvia," Lucy answered. She hadn't needed to turn around to recognize Edo-Juvia's voice. Just take Earth-Juvia's voice, add a little salt, pepper, and pride, and _voila!_

"I just wanted to thank you for helping me find these shoes," Edo-Juvia gushed. "I mean, if it weren't for you..."

Lucy's brain froze out the rest. The pompous Edo-fangirl thanking her for yesterday? Was this possible...

"So, you'll do it, right?" Edo-Juvia grasped her hand and squeezed it so tightly that Lucy had to fight to keep the automatic tears in her eyes.

"Wha-?" Lucy's head swam as millions of "huh?" questions floated through her mind.

"You know." Edo-Juvia frowned. "I just asked you if you'll bother Earth-land Juvia for the rest of the week."

"What for?" Lucy asked, aghast.

"Y'know. Knock her out. Drag her away. Whatever it takes to squeeze the time she has with Gray and give _me_ his attention for the whole contest!"

Lucy couldn't believe her ears.

"I can't do that. You're asking me to betray my own friend!"

Edo-Juvia pouted. "And I suppose if _your friend_ asked you to do the same, you'd do it without asking any questions?"

Lucy paused.

"Of course you would," finalized Juvia triumphantly, as if that settled the matter. She grasped Lucy's other hand as well. "So will you?"

"Okay. I'll do my best to give you equal time - no more for any of you, and no less," Lucy said finally.

Edo-Juvia looked hesitant, then let go and smiled sweetly.

"Well, I suppose that's only fair.." she said almost humbly.

In truth, the blue-haired master of devilry was already coaxing countless plans in her mind.

As if Lucy could see through her words, the blonde raised an eyebrow and said slowly, "If this is going to be a contest, there have to be more rules." _And following of rules_, she was about to add, but decided against it.

"No cheating, yeah, I got it," mumbled Edo-Juvia, turning. She started for the guild.

Lucy shook her head, and dashed past the blunette to warn Juvia first.


	5. The First Day: Trouble Arising

**Chapter 5: The First Day: Trouble Arising**

"Hey! Psst! Natsu!"

The pink-haired dragonslayer blinked and looked around.

"Do you see anybody, Happy?"

His blue-furred Exceed, Happy, shrugged in his seat at their table in the guild main hall.

"No. But I smell something fishy!"

Natsu grinned and high-fived (high-pawed?) his best friend.

Someone snickered.

"Who was that?" shouted Natsu, whipping around.

Eyes turned to their table as the pink-haired mage of fury leapt up.

"Be quiet, flamebrain!" hissed a voice from his right. He turned, and saw a shape shift behind a tall post supporting the guild.

There was only one person who would call him 'flamebrain'.

"Gray?" said Happy.

"Icicle?" said Natsu.

"Yes! Now be quiet or those two maggots will find out where I am," came the voice again, frustrated.

Natsu sat back down, and the guild returned to their own tasks. Silently, he and Happy moved toward the shadow.

They found Gray crouching against the pole with a cap pulled awkwardly over his eyes, to shield his face.

"Never saw you in so many layers," joked Natsu.

"Shut it," Gray hissed.

"Hi, Gray. Run into any bundles of chaos lately? Namely, ones with blue hair?" teased Lucy, popping up behind them.

"AAAGH!" cried the boys.

"Lushy, don't shock us like that," whined Happy.

"It's _Lucy_, and you'll give yourselves away if you scream so loud," laughed Lucy.

"What do you want?" demanded Gray, crestfallen.

"We can tell her, right?" whispered Natsu to Gray.

"I know everything already, Natsu. I mean, you guys not in the guild at the exact same time, without even declaring to pound each other to the dust is only one clue out of a billion."

"Riiight."

"Riiight."

"Yep!" said Happy.

"Also, you," she said, jabbing a finger at Gray. "hadn't arrived at your usual time, according to Juvia," the blonde added, giving a quick peek at her watch.

"Riiight."

"Riiight."

"Yep!"

"So. You might as well tell me all your plans."

"Whose side are you on?" huffed Gray.

Lucy shrugged. In truth, she was excited about the contest, and couldn't wait to see the love-driven antics throughout the week and the ending result, too.

"So," she continued. "what have you got to say now?

"..."

"..."

"Do you have any fish, Lucy?"

"AGGHH!"

* * *

><p>"Lyon."<p>

"What...?" Juvia blinked.

"Lyon. That's my name. But you can call me Lyon the Legendary. Or Lyon the Great," he added.

"Lyon..."

"Yeah?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing." Juvia blushed. She liked his name; it was another fabulous addition to this... this sense of regality, strength, good looks, and much more all wrapped up in one prize of a human.

Such a treasure had never occurred, in Juvia's mind, to really exist.

"Except for Gray!" burst Juvia firmly.

"...'Gray'?" said Lyon, his eyes darkening. Juvia blushed. She hadn't realized she'd spoken aloud.

"Yes. Gray. Is something wrong?" Juvia said, puzzled. Her eyes dropped down to his hands, which were clenched in fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

"Gray..." Lyon repeated in a low voice, his eyes flashing with rage.

Juvia winced. _His eyes look so dangerous,_ she thought, but couldn't help but think, _Handsome, too._She was melting, falling into those strong, unyielding black pupils...

"Juvia," said Lyon firmly. "Don't fall for a wild-headed stripper like Gray. He's not good enough for you."

"And you are?" challenged a voice right behind him. Juvia gasped. Lyon froze, and forced himself to turn around.

"Don't you dare lay a hand on any of my guild members," hissed Gray, leaning forward.

Juvia's heartbeat quickened. _Gray-sama cares about Juvia! But he did only say 'guild member'... that includes Lucy. But it doesn't include Edo-Juvia,_ she added smugly to herself.

"What makes you think you're good enough for her?" demanded Gray. Lucy and Natsu stepped up behind him awkwardly, and Happy swooped over.

"She's not even content in this guild. You clearly don't hold any feelings for her except that she's a guild member. Obviously she belongs with Lamia Scale!" shot back Lyon.

"Then let's fight over it. If I win, she stays, and-"

"And _when_ I win, she joins Lamia Scale," finished Lyon.

Juvia gasped. Switch guilds?

"No way!" Lucy cried. She turned to Gray. "Gray, talk yourself out of this!"

"No. Juvia belongs with us. Besides," he said, grinning devilishly at Lyon. "We've got some old childhood rivalries to settle."

"Hope you've improved your baby skills since I last saw you," sneered Lyon.

"More than you know," came the immediate reply.

The two stepped out into the courtyard, oblivious to the cheers and hoots coming from the rest of the guild.

* * *

><p>Edo-Juvia sauntered toward the guild. <em>Gray will be knocked out <em>_by my clothing. That dumb, sissy of a Juvia has no idea what Gray likes! Fortunately for me, I've got plenty of experience with boys like Gray falling over my boots. Just take his preferences and use the opposite to give him the idea that there's something awesomely different about me..._

A loud noise erupted into her thoughts. "What in the..."

"Ly-on! Ly-on!" came the distant voices.

"Gra-ay! Gra-ay!"

"Humph," she mumbled to herself. "Just another of those pesky fights, eh? Wish I could show them how much brawl I can pack in my one fist... Wait. 'Gray'?"

It came from the guild. Dropping her purse, Edo-Juvia raced as fast as she could toward the guild courtyard.

Dashing as fast as she was, it wasn't a surprise that she'd bump into something or someone, namely, Levy.

The bluenette's eyes sparkled as she lifted a pile of books and assorted paper in her hands. Somehow, book-related items never seemed heavy to her.

"I found your ticket home!" she announced proudly. Edo-Juvia's mind was still focused onto the buzzing, bloody activity only a hop, skip and a jump away, and she found it hard to pry her eyes toward Levy, who was waving the stack of paper.

"You see, this sort of portal is called an _Immortalis Porta_, meaning immortal portal. Nice ring to it, isn't there? Anyway, it appears twice ever thousand years, even in worlds without magic, which is why they call it 'immortal'. Personally I think _immune_ works better, but _immortal_ does sound nicer!"

"And?" pressed Edo-Juvia, glancing in the direction of the guild.

"Every thousand years it appears randomly once, then another time four days later, in the exact two spots it appeared. Fortunately this is a two-way portal, so if you want to get back, you can."

"But... that means we'll have to shorten the contest to three days. Today, tomorrow, and the day after," muttered Edo-Juvia with a scowl. "...Less time to spend with cool-version Gray. Bummer in the summer."

"Actually, it's spring right now," put in Levy. "And so what if it's only three more days? Aren't you anxious to get back home?"

"'So what'? Aii, sew a button on your shirt. You don't know heads or tails about romance business, bookworm," Edo-Juvia muttered angrily. Who was she, daring to question her relationship with Gray?

Levy was miffed. "D-don't say that! I even have a crush. And by the way - he's the only one who's allowed to call me bookworm." Even though she was usually easy-going, cheerful, and cute, her temper got the best of her at the moment.

"Whatever." Edo-Juvia waved the words away with one hand, and proceeded to move toward the guild, leaving a fuming Levy behind.

"Fine!" burst Levy. "I'm going to help Juvia."

Edo-Juvia paused for a moment, then shrugged. "Do whatever you like, _bookworm._"

Levy scowled. _Only... only Gajeel can call me that!_ The petite blue-haired mage clenched her fist, her blush deepening.

* * *

><p><strong>Anyway, keep on sending the votes. Earth Juvia, or Edo Juvia? So far Earth's winning...<strong>

**R&R! Thanks~**


	6. The First Day: Tonight

**Chapter 6: The First Day: Tonight**

Juvia kicked the ground, and winced as dirt embedded itself between her bare toes. She could feel grit sliding on the surface of her flip-flops, directly underneath her feet.

She could feel her heart beating wildly. It had ever since Lyon had kissed her.

Gray had never showed the same affection toward her. Here she was, mooning over the impossible ice mage, while a perfect stranger was showering her with all the sweetness she'd yearned to receive from Gray!

And yet she could feel her distant voice cheering Gray-sama on, against that perfect stranger...

"Juvia!" a voice broke into her thoughts. Juvia wheeled around, then sighed as she saw Levy moving toward her. Juvia noticed that the blunette's usual cheerful skipping had turned into a soldier's march. Her face was serious, almost angry. Flecks of fury shone bright and hard in her dark, serious eyes. She realized they also held a strong, mean excitement in them that sent shivers up Juvia's spine. Since when was Levy excited and angry at the same time?

"Juvia, I've decided I'm on your side," Levy announced, giving her a smile.

"Hmm?" Juvia shook off the sounds of the fight between Lyon and Gray and turned to face Levy in a more conversational manner.

"You know. The contest. Listen, I've found a clue to the portal mystery! Edo-Juvia was transported here through a magic portal called the Immortal Portal." Quickly she filled in what she'd learned about the portal's immunity, magic properties, and millennial appearances. "So she'll be leaving in four days' time," Levy finished proudly.

"Then the contest will be cut short," Juvia realized.

"Right. But don't worry. I'm on your team, and I'm sure Erza and Lucy and everyone else are, too," Levy said with a triumphant tone.

"Juvia thought you weren't going to join. Isn't your job in the library and everything?" Juvia asked.

"Hmph. Change of plans. I will be spending most of my time in the library, researching love techniques! I'll try to make sure you'll spend the most memorable time with Gray, if not the most time, period."

"What's in it for you? Juvia doesn't want you to waste your time," Juvia said. In truth, she was thinking, _Juvia is suspicious that you want to steal Gray from me!_

"Don't worry. Friends are supposed to help each other, right? Besides," Levy added wickedly. "I've got a grudge against that bimbo." Juvia stifled a gasp. She'd never heard tame, adorable book-loving Levy talk like this before.

"Okay. Juvia is glad you want to help," Juvia said genuinely.

Gray dusted his pants, which he'd dropped 'accidentally' on the ground during his fight with Lyon. How Lyon had found his way to Fairy Tail, he didn't know. _Ha! At least I won. Although I have to admit, he's gotten much better since our last meeting at Demon Island._

"Gray-sama, I made this for you!" A small basket dropped in front of him, on the table he was sitting at.

"Huh? Oh. Thanks," Gray said, panicking. He looked up and saw Juvia, and felt a little relieved. After all, she _was_ less annoying than Juvia from Edolas.

"Juvia wants to say, you were wonderful in the fight," Juvia burst, instantly blushing.

"Thanks. It wasn't hard at all," Gray said with a grin. "Lyon's nothing. I pounded him to the ground before he could say, 'ice cream'."

"Of course you did," cooed a voice. "You're the strongest mage I know."

Gray groaned as Edo-Juvia came approached them. She gave a quick jab at Juvia in the stomach, and Juvia fell back with a short shriek.

"Anyway," Edo-Juvia went on with sickly sincerity as if nothing had happened. She plopped down beside him. "I was thinking. I've got tickets to the movies and no one to go with me. So why don't you come? I'll buy the popcorn and everything," she offered, sliding closer. In truth, she'd only _tempted_ the ticket seller to give her a huge discount and raided the rest from Lucy's piggy bank.

Gray had to admit, the offer was tempting. But not tempting enough.

"No way! I mean, I've got plans..."

"That's alright, we can go tomorrow," whimpered Edo-Juvia, who was practically sitting in his lap now.

Gray felt his warning senses going crazy, and hastily scooted to the other end of the bench before he did something stupid. But as he scooted away, he felt himself bumping into...

"Gray-sama! Why don't you open it now? Remember, Juvia made it especially for you!" Juvia said, pushing her gift back over to him. He gulped.

He turned left... then right. On both sides two adoring Juvias gazed at him with fawn's eyes.

He jumped up and ran out of the guild screaming.

"Not so fast!" sang a voice as Gray felt a hand grab his arm. He gulped and stared up into Mira Jane's gleeful face.

"Mira! Please, I gotta get out of there before-" he shuddered. "-those two _monsters_ catch up with me!"

Mira considered, then smiled. "Okay, I'll give you a one second break while you tell me who you want to give your first point to."

"What's the point? Give it to anyone. Can you let me go now?"

"Oh, Anyone is a name? Actually I was thinking more in the terms of 'Juvia from Magnolia' or 'Juvia from Edolas'," Mira said, obviously enjoying the misery on Gray's face.

"But-"

"Also, before I forget. You have a date with one of them tonight! I've bought reservations for the most expensive diner in town - you'll have to pay me back, of course," Mira went on cheerfully, ignoring Gray's slumping back. "You'll have to bring one of them, so take your pick."

"Uh... I'd rather take no one?"

"Three..."

"No!"

"Satan Soul: SITRI! Two..." Gray swallowed, but stood firm.

"One.. Last chance!." She held one razor-sharp claw against his throat.

"Zero..." He closed his eyes and prepared himself for the worst, thinking, _Why would she get all extreme over some dumb love contest?_

"Alright. You'll take both!" she declared. Gray swore he could hear her cackling mentally.

"Both, at the same time?" moaned Gray. He couldn't stand any more of it. There was always the chance that he'd stand up against them, but he could also do the opposite and end up with kids...

"Nope! I'll book two reservations, right after the other! Of course, you'll pay for them..."

Gray didn't hear her. He'd already blanked out.

Edo-Juvia sat primly in her seat and checked her makeup for the millionth time. She'd checked it so many times that it was already applied to perfection, but she had nothing else to do anyway. Gray was late.

She was getting hungry.

_Please don't let my stomach grumble! Please let Gray arrive soon!_

She heard voices a small distance away, then slow, slug-like footsteps.

"Hi," grumbled Gray.

"C'mon, cheer up!" Edo-Juvia said brightly. She was looking forward to her evening with Gray.

Gray took his seat and straightened his back. _Ugh! Why do I have to be cheerful? That Mira. She's crazy. Why'd she have to threaten me like that, asking my dates if I was cheerful or not and punishing me if they said I wasn't. To the pits with Mira..._

Edo-Juvia smiled sweetly as if she could hear his thoughts. "Do you want me to sit closer?"

"N-no thanks." He'd had enough of her that day. Their across-the-table date was spacey enough for him, and he _definitely_ wanted it to stay that way.

Edo-Juvia picked up her nearly-empty glass of champagne and swished it. "I hope you're not too hungry," she said. "It'd be nice to have more time together, you know... Of course, you couldn't be starving. I'll bet little Miss Weakling Blue-Shoes fixed a niiice little bento lunch for you today," she mocked.

To his surprise, Gray felt a pang of anger bubble to the top.

"How dare-" Nearly too late he remembered Mira's warning.

"Excuse me?"

"Uh, I was about to say, 'How fares you?" he said pathetically. Edo-Juvia smirked, and leaned closer over the table. Gray felt slightly entranced by her alluring, flashing dark blue eyes.

"You're cute, Gray," she said.

"...what...?" Gray was astounded, and his shock came out in a whisper.

"I said, you're cute. Didn't you hear me?" she said in a flirtatious voice. Gray felt his nerves freeze. Sure she was something else, but this side of her was really extreme.

"Oh, by the way... By 'spend some time together' I meant... well, you know. I hope you're up to having a scrumptious night!"

Gray gulped. What kind of Juvia was this? For the umpteenth time he scolded himself for being stubborn and not choosing only one of them in the first place.

"How about now?"

"What?"

"I'm not hungry anymore, and I'm sure you aren't either. We can rent it now!"

"Uh, sorry but I've got things to do!" Gray said hurriedly, and before Edo-Juvia could say another word he bolted out of the restaurant.

"Didn't I already say to be a good boy?" said a voice just outside the restaurant.

"Can't you leave me alone, Mira?" Gray hissed.

"Why should I? This is just getting more and more interesting!"

"Sometimes I wish I could just rip that creepy smile off your face," muttered Gray.

"Anyway, it's about time for your date with Juvia," Mira said, her eyes flashing.

"Okay, okay, I get the picture." Gray sighed and sauntered back into the restaurant just as a flustered Edo-Juvia staggered outside with an admiring group of fanguys trailing after her.

_Tsk.. where did he go? _Edo-Juvia thought._ I just wanted to rent a room in a hotel and spend the night with him eating popcorn and watching _The Sound of Music_! We don't have that movie in Edolas, and the popcorn here tastes much better…_

"So, what's your name?"

"Eh?" Edo-Juvia glanced back over her shoulder at the swarm of random guys.

"Your name! What is it? I'm Sora, by the way," said the tallest one with flashing purple and black hair. "And who was that guy you were with earlier?"

"Um, I'm Juvia, and that guy was Gray, who is totally awesome by the way. I'll bet he could whip you to smithereens," Edo-Juvia said, smiling.

Edo-Juvia expected Sora to scowl, but instead the good-looking stranger just smiled.

Edo-Juvia did not like his smile.

"Um, I'll be going now," Edo-Juvia said quickly, and swiftly barrelled her way through the mob and out into the town streets.

_Sora, huh? That means "sky"… _

Edo-Juvia shook her head. She had more important things to do than worry about a random stranger. Things like finding _Gray_, for example.

Edo-Juvia set off down the road, the handsome, threatening stranger instantly forgotten.


	7. The Second Day: Denial

**Chapter 7: The Second Day: Denial**

"Gray-sama..." whispered Juvia in his ear. She snuggled closer on his side of their booth. "I love you. Juvia always has."

Gray felt himself melt, then turned to face her. "I love you too, Juvia."

They leaned forward to kiss, then-

Gray awoke with a start in his bed. Sweat drenched his clothing, and he was panting as if he'd just ran a 100km marathon.

"What in the-" He remembered his dream, and felt a tingle of unwanted pleasure up his body.

_No, Gray. You're not gonna fall for someone as love-sick as that! She's freaky, they both are._

_Then why'd ya step in when Juvia was with Lyon?_ hissed a second voice in his mind.

_I just did! That doesn't mean anything. You know Lyon is my rival!_

_Then why at that particular time, dummy? Why'd you choose to butt in while they were talking? Right after their kiss?_

_Hey, I like to fight with Natsu at random times too, y'know. And don't talk about the-the kiss._

_Okay, then how about-_

Gray zoned out the voices in his head, and got up from his bed. Grabbing his newly-bought cloak, sunglasses, and wide-brimmed hat, he put them on while walking out the door.

"Gray! There you are," cooed Edo-Juvia.

"Y-you've been waiting on my doorstep?" Gray yelled.

"Mm-hmm. Don't think you could just run out on me last night. You're the only one for me, you lucky duck. I've had millions of proposals, so aren't you thankful I saved them for you?" Juvia said, grabbing his arms and whipping off his cloak. He gulped. The only top on had been his cloak.

"...Personally, I'd like it better if you didn't save them for me," muttered Gray. Juvia's hand flew to her hip.

"So you like that wimpy counterfeit of mine more than you like me? How is that possible?" she burst. "Look, Gray, I'm doing so many things for you! Getting a new hairdo, new outfits, everything with money I plan on paying back to Lucy, even going so far as to buy our house. Can't you appreciate me a little more?"

"H-house?"

"Yes, a mansion on the edge of town, farthest from the guild. You _do_ want to spend more time with me than your guild members when we get married, don't you?"

"Married? Wait a second. No one said anything about getting married!" Gray screamed in a hoarse voice.

"Don't you want to?"

"No way! I'd rather kiss a slug three times a day than marry you!" Gray said .

"Oh, Gray," said Edo-Juvia softly, sliding up on her toes so her nose was equal with Gray's. He could even feel her heartbeat right up against his.

"Um, Juvia...?" He was starting to sweat. She ignored him.

"Gray, I've been waiting for this all my life! A cool Gray who adores me, will do whatever I want, loves me for being me..." She gave a cute sigh. "Please? Just try for me, okay?" Gray couldn't take it anymore.

"No way!" he yelled, and dashed away, leaving Juvia clutching his cloak, gazing after him.

"Tsk, tsk. Having problems?"

"Yeah, like you'd know what t do, Natsu," Gray grumbled as he slid into the alley where Natsu's pink hair had been poking out.

"Hey, I already told you I'm on your side, okay, freezeball?" Natsu shot back.

"I'll be on your side if you give me a fish!" Happy said. Gray ignored him.

"Yeah, yeah. So got any ideas? 'Escaping With Mira' sure didn't work."

"Well you know what they say. When plan A doesn't work..."

"You fall into a ditch and die."

"No, you use plan B," said Natsu, rolling his eyes.

Gray paused. "What exactly is plan B?"

Natsu grinned, and his white teeth gleamed in the dark alleyway.

* * *

><p>"...Then he ran away." Edo-Juvia sighed. "I can't believe it. I'm giving up so much for that bi-" she paused as Lucy raised an eyeborow. "-and anyway, he's giving it all away with a brush of his hand? Ugh!"<p>

"Calm down," Lucy said, leaning over their table in the guild. "I know you feel this way. I mean, proposing and then being turned down flat? Pitiful." In truth, she was itching to do the victory dance. _Two points for Gray. Now Juvia can have a go!_

"Pitiful? Yeah, I almost forgot. What will happen to my ego?" Edo-Juvia moaned. "Being turned down by the very guy who has a counterpart that would fall at my feet? Not pitiful. It's pathetic. It's despicable. I'll never be able to go in public again!"

"I'm pretty sure he was just shocked, that's all," Lucy assured her, straining not to laugh.

"You're probably right. He'll come back," Edo-Juvia agreed. Her eyes lit up, and she jumped from her seat.

"Where are you going?"

"To find Gray, of course!" Juvia said excitedly. Lucy rolled her eyes.

"You know... I think it'd be better if you let _him_ come to _you_. That way you'll know for sure when he's over his shock, okay?" Lucy said hastily.

"Well... alright." Edo-Juvia pouted, but didn't take it too harshly.

"Hi Lucy!" said Juvia, walking over.

"Water mage," hissed Edo-Juvia. Juvia ignored her.

"What're you doing?" she asked.

Lucy shrugged. "Nothing much. I'm talking to Edo-Juvia right now," she added pointedly.

"Oh... Do you want Juvia to go away?" Juvia asked politely.

"Nah, that's alright," soothed Edo-Juvia, much to their surprise. _I want to talk with her..._

Juvia and Lucy were caught off guard. Edo-Juvia grinned and relished their awed, wondering expressions.

"But it would be nice to have a little time alone, to chat between contestants," Edo-Juvia continued.

"A-Alright, if you want to," agreed Juvia. Lucy turned to leave, and Edo-Juvia made no move to stop her.

"Now let's talk." Edo-Juvia patted the chair beside her and Juvia cautiously sat down, thinking, _Could she be wanting to apologize? Maybe she wants to be friends with Juvia! Or, _she reminded herself. _It could be a trap of some sort. Juvia must be careful._

"So how much do you like Gray?" demanded Edo-Juvia the moment Lucy was out of earshot. Juvia was surprised.

"Um... Juvia loves him as a very good friend," Juvia said, trying to stay in Edo-Juvia's good graces..

"I see," Edo-Juvia said, as if that explained something. But Juvia must have been mistaken, because the very next thing she said was, "How good of a friend?"

"I... I don't know."

"What part does he play in your life?" She sounded almost angry.

"An important part in Juvia's life! What-why are you asking me this?" Juvia asked, her heart pounding.

"An important part? Hmph! You'll see how much he truly treasures you when we-" She stopped. Juvia looked at her with questioning eyes.

_Shouldn't I keep this a secret?_ Edo-Juvia thought. _She'll try to stop us! She'll wail and everything, that annoying brat of a counterpart._

"When we, um..." she stammered. Juvia was puzzled; clearly the blue-haired Edolas Juvia was at some kind of loss for words, but wasn't she usually cool and on-top-of-things?

"When we...?" Juvia didn't like to pry, but she wanted to help out somehow.

"... Hey, is that Gray over there?" Edo-Juvia said, pointing beyond Juvia's shoulder.

"Huh? Gray-sama?" Juvia turned and looked... and gasped.

"Hey, Juvia!" waved Lyon with a wide grin. Juvia glanced back at Edo-Juvia only to find that her blue-haired counterpart was gone, leaving her with this frightening male.

_Sort of like Beauty and the Beast, only Juvia does not like him and also he is a beast with a handsome prince on top_, Juvia thought.

"You remember me, right?"

"Y-yes." How would any girl be able to forget the person who'd just kissed her the day before?

Lyon breathed a sigh of relief, and gave her one of his smiles. He was the kind of guy who stared right into your eyes, in a way that made you lose your breath for a moment.

"Good. I'm glad. I sure remember you," he added softly. Juvia gulped.

"Please don't do it again," she whispered.

"Do what? I just came to ask you for dinner," Lyon said, raising his arms in surrender.

"Oh." They stood in awkward silence for a moment.

"You know," Lyon finally prodded. "At the new place on Main Street. Do you recognize the name Tsurai Udon?"

"Spicy Udon?" Juvia echoed. She ran a hand through her new, light hair.

"You aren't saying no. I take it you'll come?"

"But-"

"Good! I'll pick you up at your house at... 6 o'clock, okay?" Lyon gave another grin, and Juvia felt her legs turn to jelly as he spoke.

"I..."

"See ya later!" he waved, and walked out of the guild. Juvia sighed.

* * *

><p>"'Steal their underwear'? Seriously?" Gray stared at Natsu in disbelief.<p>

"Sure! They'd be embarrassed out of their lives. See, we sneak in as nin-nins and steal them. Then we get out and hang them on the flagpole in front of the guild. The next morning they'll be so embarrassed to even be able to face their one true love," Natsu smirked. "And the best part is, they'll never even find out who the ninjas were."

"Riiight." Gray had to admit, the idea was pretty tempting.

"So? You're in?" Natsu said, grinning. Gray paused.

"Okay. I've got some black clothes at home."

"Won't they be able to recognize your smell?" Happy asked.

"Nah, they don't have sensitive noses like Mister Flamin' Dragon Slayer here. But you're right. Just in case, I think we should ask Freed and Bixlow to lend us some black clothes," Gray said thoughtfully.

"Okay, me and Happy will talk to them while you're busy with the Juvias," Natsu teased.

"Whatever. See you tonight at 4:40, okay? Just between meals so I won't have any teatime set-ups with the Juvias, or dinner dates either."

"Sure. We've got to arrive at different times at the guild so it'll look like we weren't with each other," Natsu added.

"Yeah." The two parted ways, Happy swooping after Natsu, and Gray grinning as he thought of what to come.

* * *

><p><strong>Whoa, Natsu sure comes up with the strangest ideas! Typical boys... no offence.<strong>

**"Hang it on the flagpole"? Youch. Keep the reviews coming, you guys.**

**So far the votes point to Earthland Juvia... I think I'll get some juicy stuff for her, and Edo-Juvia might go along with Lyon? Or Edo-Gray...? How about Laxus?**

**Tell me who you want, and I'll pick the favourite from your votes!**


	8. The Second Day: New Love

**Chapter 8: The 2nd Day: New Love**

"Remind me exactly why we're doing this again?" groaned a dark-haired, teenage boy in black.

"'Cuz it's fun and it'll be worth it," grinned a pink-haired idiot beside him.

"I hope Carla doesn't catch me doing this," squealed a cat with wings, also dressed in oddly-shaped, black cat clothes.

If anyone had been walking by the alley behind Tafia Gardens, the apartment where Edo-Juvia was currently staying, they would have spotted two boys and a flying cat, all dressed in black. Suspicious...

The dark-haired one, whose name was Gray, turned to the pinkie.

"So how do we get in, Mister Constantly-Break-And-Enter-Lucy's-House?"

Mister Constantly-Break-And-Enter, whose real name was Natsu, grinned devilishly. "Through the window, or through the brick wall. Whichever you prefer!"

"Erza will get mad if you destroy the wall," the cat said.

"Happy's right!" Gray shuddered. "Besides, we can't destroy anything or else we'll have to pay for it and this whole thing wouldn't be worth it."

"Then through the window it is," Natsu said. Gray raised his hands.

"Ice Make: Stair-" he began, but Natsu slapped him. "What? Ow..."

"Don't use any magic, icehead, otherwise it won't be that fun. Just in and out."

"Okay, I get the picture. You didn't have to slap me though." Gray sighed.

Natsu grabbed a jutting-out brick and hoisted himself up onto a first floor window. "Wait." He paused. "Which floor was Edo-Juvia on again?"

Gray scratched his head. "I think it was the eighth floor. Or was it the ninth? No, it was the eighth. I overheard her telling Lucy about it."

"Okay." Natsu nodded and pushed himself up onto the second floor. Gray followed. Within moments Natsu had reached the eighth floor, used some kind of breaking-in technique to unlatch the window, and slipped inside, with Gray on his tail.

Gray landed softly on a thick feather bed.

"It's probably her bedroom," Natsu whispered over his shoulder.

"Yeah duh!"

They crept forward through the open doorway into the hall. Edo-Juvia lived in a temporary, fairly large suite, big enough to house at least three people. They both knew that her stuffed animals would probably be in her bedroom, but it was nice and sneaky to rummage through the rest of her temporary home, just for fun since no one else was around.

"Hey, look at this!" Natsu hissed, sticking his head into the pantry. Gray rushed to his side. Inside the pantry was a colourful assortment of hams wrapped in plastic packages, Ding Dongs, candy, and much more. Gray grabbed the handle of the refrigerator and whisked it open.

"Awesome," he breathed, not exactly oblivious to the sounds of munching coming from where Natsu and Happy were. Sitting on the three shelves of the miraculously ice-cold fridge were slabs of thick meat, liters of ice cream in almost every flavour, and the scent of many more delicious items hidden toward the back of the fridge.

Gray willingly let the cold air _whoosh!_over him, giving him a pleasant sensation like no other. _There's nothing better than cold mountain air, and this is the closest thing to it that you can find in Magnolia,_ he thought dreamily.

"Hey!" Natsu yelled into his ear.

"What?" hissed Gray, slamming the fridge door shut.

"That's better," said Natsu. "The longer you stand there, the more I freeze to death."

"I sure wish that were true," muttered Gray.

"Anyway, let's get out of here," Natsu said, holding up a sack full of...the things they'd came here for in the first place. Gray didn't answer but headed for the open window.

"Mmm, I wonder what Gray-sama is doing," Juvia said dreamily, leaning on her elbow on the cold, marble surface of the counter. It was almost 5 o'clock, and Gray wasn't around. Neither was Natsu, but all the same the pinkie's case didn't matter to Natsu. _Maybe to Lucy-san, though!_ Juvia realized for the first time.

"I dunno," the blonde replied. She was sitting on the stool next to her.

"Oh, he's probably out with Edo-Juvia," Mira said with a flap of her hand as she leaned over the other side of the counter.

"But-Juvia wants to be with him. And why Juvia's counterpart, of all people!" Juvia thundered. Mira gave her a sly smile.

"I didn't arrange it, but you know Edo-Juvia. She'll go all out for a guy she appreciates," Mira said with a wink.

"Mira, I don't think that's helping Juvia at all," Lucy said.

Mira shrugged. "This is a contest, Lucy. Contests have to have some rivalry, right?"

"Wrong. Why can't they just be friends and get over it?" Lucy argued.

"Because it's not as fun!" said Mira cheerfully.

"Well..." Lucy sighed. "Juvia and Edo-Juvia should be closer."

"Hey! Juvia is right here, you know," put in Juvia.

"I do agree, but I also think a contest is a very nice way to spend someone's five days in another world!"

"Did you forget about Juvia already? It's only Edo-Juvia who enjoys this kind of thing!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Um, Juvia is right here, and plus she doesn't mind..." Juvia tried to say.

"Well, Juvia can spend eternity with Gray, but should Edo-Juvia have some time with Gray while she can be here?" Mira said calmly.

"Hi!" said a very familiar voice.

"Hi, Edo-Juvia!" chorused all three.

"Hiya. Do you know where Gray is?" Edo Juvia asked.

"I was wondering the same thing." said Juvia.

"Oh, hello there, Juvia. Didn't see you," simpered Edo-Juvia. Juvia frowned.

"Anyway," Edo-Juvia continued. "Don't you have a date with Lyon or something?"

"Juvia nearly forgot!" Juvia exclaimed, and rushed out the door.

"Wait, you forgot your..." Lucy sighed, picked up Juvia's purse and raced after her.

"So, Juvia, how are you doing?" inquired Mira.

"Fine. I would be better if I could only find Gray!"

"I know. It's a pity. I was planning on making him go on a matchmaking job with you, too! Jobs full of romance almost always make the people doing the job get interested. It would've been a blast," Mira sighed dreamily.

"Speaking of romance, can I talk to you, Mira Jane?" said an 'ahem-y' voice. The two girls looked up.

"F-Freed!" Mira was suddenly flustered. "What are you doing here? Do you need a drink?"

"No, can I just talk to you in private?" Freed said, a tint of pink colouring his pale cheeks. His eyes were serious, and were glancing nervously between Mira and Edo-Juvia.

"Sure!" giggled Edo-Juvia. "I'll stay here and work the counter while you two go... _chat._"

Freed and Mira blushed. Mira hurried out of the counter and followed Freed. Somehow, they wandered into the rose garden beside the guild.

"Pretty," breathed Mira softly, leaning to sniff a rose. Freed, who was usually quite at home among the gardens, was somewhat jittery.

"Mira?"

"Mm-hmm?"

"I.." He swallowed, and turned his head away.

"What is it, Freed?"

"N-nothing." _Why am I bothering to do this anyway? I'll bet she has a dozen proposals a day from all the Weekly Sorcerer fans._

"Freeeeed…. Tell me before I force you to tell me, baka!" demanded Mira.

Freed sighed. Actually, whenever she did her Takeover stuff he really admired her (although she wasn't in Takeover mode right now, she could in the next few milliseconds). But usually he got a bit frightened of her.

Of course, this wasn't a "usually" kind of time. Freed was way too nervous to feel scared.

"Uh… okay…" Freed turned back to Mira, blushing. "Mira… I sort of… uh…"

"Oh, you want to be friends? Sure…" Mira said, her voice wavering a bit.

_Wait. Wavering? Could it be that Mira is just as nervous as I am…?_

Maybe he had a chance.

"Mira… Do you think… uh… we could be…"

"Be _what_?"

"…more than friends?" Freed said weakly.

There was an awkward moment of silence, in which Mira thought over the question and Freed panicked. _Did I really just say that? Freed, you baka—_

"You know I get a lot of proposals already, right?" Mira said, breaking the silence.

"Yes…"

"And you still want to ask?"

Freed nodded, his voice suddenly betraying him, his throat dry.

"Freed?"

"Yes?" the mage responded, his heart stopping for a full second.

"…I'm glad you asked."

"Which means?" he whispered.

"Which means, _yes,_" Mira said softly. "You know, I've been waiting a long time for this."

"What?"

"Nevermind. Do you have hearing problems or something?" Mira said, scowling, her cheeks turning deep red.

Freed chuckled gently. That was so like Mira, insulting other people when she was embarrassed.

He paused, then took Mira's hand. "Let's go inside."

Mira nodded, her cheeks still pink, and the two walked towards the guild.

**Aww! I had so much fun writing the last bit. Way to go, Freed!**

**Wonder what will happen next? Maybe it's Mira's turn for some teasing and nudging... I dunno.**

**Got any ideas? I'm always open for possibilities! Anyway, Mira and Freed... one of my fave FT pairings :)**

**If you want, I can add other pairings in here, too... like on the side. Keep the requests and reviews coming!**


	9. The Second Day: Surprise

**Chapter 9: The Second Day: Surprise**

Juvia raced through the streets, unaware of the honking of horns and tire squealing around her. A man shouted at her as she darted across the intersection, but she didn't notice. Her heart was pounding. _Juvia will be late for sure! Lyon admires her so much, and Juvia does not want to disappoint anyone._

She was hurrying so quickly that she walked right into something _incredibly soft._

"Oh, hi there," said a very surprised, very familiar voice.

"Gray-sama?" whispered Juvia. _No, it can't be... he never wears so many layers._

"How'd you know my name? Oh, nice blue hair, by the way," added the stranger with a sheepish smile. Then the smile turned into a look of awestruck desire.

"Whoa! Juvia? Is that you?"

"You are wearing so much," Juvia said bluntly. The boy looked hurt.

"Please don't say that. I've been wandering in this strange place for three days now, and when I finally find someone I know, she rejects me again?" he whined.

"Juvia doesn't know you," Juvia finalized. _This guy is crazy! Did he run away from an asylum?_

"Yes you do! Juvia, it's..." He paused, stricken. "Me..." he said softly, as realization flooded into his face.

"Juvia doesn't know who you are, and why you look like Gray-sama, but she knows one thing: She is late for a date and she has to hurry up or else!"

"No, I... I get it now!" He turned to Juvia, his face lighting up. "This is Earthland!"

_He _is_ crazy! I knew it!_ Juvia reached for her purse and took out her phone.

"What are you doing?" the Gray-look-alike asked, puzzled.

"Calling the asylum."

"What-? No! Stop! Have you gone mad? It's _me,_"

"Are you kidding? You're the one who's loco in the coco," Juvia said, astounded.

"But-what-?" He knocked the phone from her hands just as she was about to press the "call" button.

"Hey! That cost two thousand jewels!" Juvia huffed. She reached to pick it up from the sewer, but a pair of strong, firm hands beat her to it.

"Thanks," Juvia said as Lyon handed it to her.

"Hey, who are you?" said the boy.

"I'm Lyon, Juvia's boyfriend," announced the light-haired ice mage proudly.

"But... no!" The random boy turned to Juvia before she could object and literally dropped to his knees, begging. "Juvia, you can't do this to me! Please, I'll do anything! Prance around naked! Strip my layers foreveerrrrr!" he pleaded, and began to sob.

"What a baby," Lyon smirked. Juvia could see what he meant. I mean, the kid was crazy! Wailing like a baby right there, in the middle of the street where all of Magnolia could see him. _Then again, he is a mad guy._

"Juvia thinks she should call the asylum," Juvia said, lifting her phone. Just like that, he shut up and grabbed the phone from her hands.

"No! Please! Even if I can't be your life man, can't I just spend time with you or what?" moaned the look-alike.

Juvia shrugged, She felt sort of sorry for this mysterious intruder. "Sure. Just... don't bother Juvia and Lyon, okay?" He nodded, and Juvia placed her phone back into her purse. As the boy pranced along behind them like an enthusiastic puppy, Lyon turned to Juvia.

"Let's head to the restaurant. I saved our seats. So anyway, what was taking you so long? This insolent pup?"

"Um...yes," Juvia said, not confident enough to tell him she'd forgotten about their date until it was too late.

"Huh," Lyon said, as if that explained something. They lapsed into silence, until Lyon turned to the boy. The stranger looked the same age as them, but somehow seemed childish, in a cute way, Juvia thought.

"What's your name?" Lyon said.

"Gray."

Juvia let out a small gasp, and glanced at Lyon, waiting to see how he would react. His face was twisted, and he looked unsure whether to laugh or beat the heck out of... Gray.

"I'm from Edolas," added Gray.

"No wonder," muttered Lyon.

"So that's how he recognized Juvia..."

"Yep! Wait. You're Earthland Juvia?" Edo-Gray asked. He couldn't keep the relief from lighting up his eyes.

Juvia nodded. "And you are Edolas Gray."

Lyon chuckled, a little wary of Edo-Gray but still, he couldn't keep from laughing. "And to think, Earthland Gray has a habit of stripping all the time."

"Wh...what? Noo! Now I won't get Juvia, but Earth Gray will? No fair," sniffed Edo-Gray. Juvia sighed and tried to switch the subject.

"Why don't you tell Juvia and Lyon how you got here, okay?" Juvia said as they began walking toward the restaurant.

"Oh... about three days ago, including today, I was walking around trying to find Juvia. She had left the guild to do a mission and told me she would only let me join her if I stripped some layers. So I thought about it, then decided that she was worth it and took off some layers and went to go find her," Edo-Gray explained.

Juvia couldn't really see how the guy claimed he had less layers than before, seeing as he had so many beyond belief already, but motioned him to go on.

"Well as I was walking around, I saw her high heel footsteps - the heels were definitely Miu Miu brand. They led to an alley, and since I was looking down and wondering why the steps suddenly ended there I didn't notice what happened. The only thing I saw was a lot of bright light and, being sort of, you know, frightened, I closed my eyes. And when I opened them again, I was was here," finished Edo-Gray.

They lapsed into silence. The only sounds were the constant chattering of people passing on the sidewalk, bartenders calling out from within restaurants, and the pitter-patter of sudden rain.

Juvia liked the feeling of cold, wet, tiny drips of water attacking her like silver needles, only to be cast into tiny water fragments as they hit her clothes. It was cool against her cheek, and the air was filled with a sweet dampness nothing could compare.

"Here we are." Lyon turned into a building, and suddenly Juvia was overwhelmed with soft, classy music, the dainty tinkling of glass, and the bright, lights beaming from chandeliers. The carpet was thick and velvety, and the whole air sang with the aroma of a fancy diner.

"It's beautiful," Juvia breathed.

"Of course. No second-hand, greasy street diners for you, my love," Lyon said, his eyes gleaming. Juvia blushed. She didn't have the heart to turn him down, but really, the only one for her was Gray. Oh, well. There'd be plenty of time to break the news to him. For now, Juvia would enjoy her date.


	10. The Third Day: Decision

**Chapter 10: The Third Day: Decision**

The sun was already a quarter done its journey through the sky, and the guild was in its usual, friendly, chaotic uproars.

"Hey, cut the chatter, you bakas!" yelled Kana to Macoa and Wakaba, who were arguing over something she didn't care a penny for. "How can anyone enjoy themselves with this lousy, hollering bunch of crazy hooligans?"

"Hey, where's Gray?" Mira Jane asked, leaning over the counter to Edo-Juvia and winking at Lucy. Lucy scowled, thinking, _poor Gray. Shouldn't he have some peace time for himself?_

Edo-Juvia shrugged. "I don't know. He disappeared yesterday afternoon, too. I'll bet that Earthland Juvia snatched him up while I was talking with you yesterday, I guess. That baka!"

"Why don't you go see if you can find him?" suggested Mira, glancing at some diners who were shouting at her. She turned to her friends, said, "I'll be right back!" and hurried over to where the customers were seated.

"Yeah, I won't do anything just sitting here," Edo-Juvia sighed, and glanced at Lucy. "Wanna help?"

"Help?" echoed Lucy. "Oh. You mean you want me to help you find Gray. No can do, I'm staying here." The blue-haired girl pouted, then shrugged and marched away.

* * *

><p>Gray dropped the sack full of Gray stuffies on the ground and leaned against the wall of the guild. "Is it clear?" he called to Natsu. They, excluding Happy who was currently trying to distract guild members from coming outside too soon, were in the alley just next to the guild, waiting for exactly the right moment to do their job.<p>

The dragon slayer glanced first right, then left at the mouth of the alley, and nodded. "Everything's clear. Let's go."

They scrambled out of the shadows and did their best to make their job quick. Again, they were dressed in black, with black handkerchiefs hiding their faces. Natsu had cut holes in them for their eyes.

Natsu tugged at the guild's flagpole and the guild flag came sagging down. He unlatched the metal clasps and left them open long enough for Gray to snatch a random Gray-sama stuffie with a looped ribbon on its head and attached the clasps around the loop. Then they rushed to the Magnolia flagpole and did the same thing, replacing it with a different one, with a different owner.

"Done!" Gray breathed.

"That was quicker than I thought," said Natsu. "Now let's get out of here!"

Gray nodded and they dashed, dragging the sack along with them, back into the alley, onto safe soil.

"Awesome!" Nastu was smirking. "My guess is that they won't dare flirt with you know, being so embarrassed. Plus, it was fun."

"The breaking-and-entering, or the sticking their beloved stuffed _MEs_ on the flagpole?"

"Both," grinned Natsu.

Suddenly, they heard a scream ring out. It was a females, and unmistakably...

The two boys grinned like maniacs at each other.

Footsteps were heard coming out of the guild. Natsu recognized Lucy's.

"What's wrong, Edo-, um, Juvia?"

"I... Oh my goodness, seriously, who did this?" Edo-Juvia moaned.

Natsu and Gray tried not to laugh their heads off and failed. But it didn't matter, because Edo-Juvia's screaming would cover any noise. They stripped their black garments and underneath were their normal, everyday clothes. They walked out into the sunlight.

"What's going on?" Natsu said innocently.

"Yeah, what's all the ruckus about?" Gray asked, just as innocently. Edo-Juvia flushed at the sight of her crush, and Gray could feel the good moods swelling up inside him. He resisted smirking.

"I... Someone..." she stammered, then blushed furiously and ran back inside the guild. Natsu and Gray gave looks to each other.

"Awesome," Natsu said.

"Definitely," Gray said. Happy came swooping out of the guild. As Natsu and the Exceed chatted and laughed over the present escapade, Gray swept the courtyard with his eyes.

Suddenly he noticed a lone figure standing solemnly in the shadows. Tears streaked her face, and her eyes were watery and dismal. Her arms were quivering, and her legs were shaking uncontrollably. _Juvia._

She looked up. Gray found himself staring right into her eyes, dreamy, grayish blue pools. They were wide, with sadness that overwhelmed Gray just by looking at her eyes. She was looking at his. No, in his.

She knew. She knew that it had been Gray.

Wiping a tear from her eye, Juvia simply stared at him, and Gray was surprised to see her strength and boldness. Then, she gave him one, last, sad look, and turned and slipped away.

Gray felt like chasing after her, but what kind of move would that make after embarrassing her so much?

_Dumb little..._ he screamed at himself in his head. _What'd you have to go stealing her treasured items for? You know that you love her-_

_Wait a second. No one said anything about loving her!_

_Here I go again. Can't you learn a lesson around here? She loves you, and you obviously feel the same way about her, even if you don't show it._

_I'm a slow learner._

_I'll ignore that. Now go find her!_

Gray felt himself being jolted forward, some unknown hand in his mind pushing him after Juvia. He sighed, then made his decision.

"Okay. I'll go. Just stop pushing me like this!"

His mind was quiet, and with a deep sigh, he glanced back over his shoulder at Natsu and Happy. The two were still laughing and were now being approached by a stern-looking Erza reaching for a sword by her side.

_Yup. Time to go._

Gray ran.

* * *

><p><em>Why? Why him? If it was someone else, I could blush and get over it, but not with him! Why did he have to do this? I thought that even if he didn't love me, he counted me as a friend. Didn't he even save me on Tenrou Island? What kind of a man would flip over and do that?<em>

Juvia was angry. Okay, she was more than angry. She was mad. Crazy. Loco in the coco. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, and her mind was boggling with anger, fear, sadness. She wanted to shriek with pain. Her misery was so great that she'd forgotten to speak in third person.

_Why? He was such a =_sniff=_heartthrob! What =_sob=_could've made him do this =_wail = ?_Gray-sama... I am losing him. He... he is horrible! I will never be able to trust him again. Yes, that is it. Juvia will let Lyon love her. Gray-sama and Juvia are over!_

Swiping away the last of her tears, she straightened her back and got up. She'd made her mind, and she wasn't going to go back.


	11. The Thrd Day Change of Plans

**Chapter 11: The Third Day: Change of Plans**

Juvia sat stiffly in her chair at her dorm in Fairy Hills. She hadn't felt strong enough to go back to the guild after her decision; after all, it was one step of turning around after going miles chasing an impossible romance. It'd take some getting used to.

But now, she'd talked it over with herself. Juvia got up and reached for her jacket. She'd returned her hair to it's usual hairdo, only shorter than before. Her flip-flops were gone, and her short, skimpy clothes were replaced with her original warm, comfortable fluffy cloak and favourite childhood consolation at her throat.

_Goodbye, Gray,_ she thought for the last time. He was a friend now, nothing more. Juvia headed for the door.

* * *

><p>Gray raced through the alleyways, panting. His clothes were drenched with sweat, and he stopped to take a rest.<p>

"Where could she have gone?" he wondered out loud, then collapsed on the side of the road. An unwanted tear rolled down his face. Where was Juvia?

_You love her._

For once, Gray let the truth seep in. He _did_love her. He _needed_her.

The first time they'd met, the heartbeat in her eyes. The surprise bentos. Her adoring glances. The unison raid.

No. _Their_ unison raid.

Gray felt a tear choke him inside. When he'd finally realized the undeniable truth, he'd destroyed it without a second glance! There was still a chance to find her, but after what had just happened...? It was logically impossible.

But Gray wasn't a logical man. What he wanted, what he _needed,_ he would try until he collapsed. He loved Juvia, and he wasn't about to let her go. He got up to begin his search again.

"G-Gray-sama?"

He whipped around. "Juvia! Where have you been?" Gray raced to embrace her, but was met by a single, shaking, pale white hand.

"No."

"Juvia? What are you doing? Where were you? I love you, Juvia. I finally realize it..."

"_No!"_Juvia shouted, her eyes full of pain. "Don't lie to Juvia, Gray. This is not funny!"

"I'm serious! I'm not going to let you go." Gray reached for her hand, but she pulled away.

"Juvia... Juvia made her decision, Gray," she stammered softly. "She is with Lyon, now. Juvia in on her way to tell him."

"...W-what are you talking about? That baka! Juvia, I mean it. Why aren't you saying it, too?"

Juvia didn't answer. Rain began pouring from above, and lightning sizzled in the background. The thunderstorm matched Gray's mood exactly.

He went on, doggedly. "Isn't this what you've dreamed of since the moment you met me? Why are you doing this to me? If I'm doing something wrong, just tell me and I'll fix it!" Gray demanded.

"Stop! Stop it, Gray..." Tears were cascading down her cheeks now. "It isn't like that."

"Then _why_?"

"Because... Juvia loves Lyon now, Gray." Juvia looked up and wiped her cheeks. "You never did love her, and you do not love her now. It's time for Juvia to move on. You lost your chance." Her voice wavered, but stood strong.

"Juvia..."

"No, Gray. It's... it's over," she whispered, then turned and disappeared into the rain.

* * *

><p>Mira hummed to herself, wiping the counter. It was a blissful afternoon, even with the sudden rainstorm outside. The more bad weather, the more customers.<p>

"Hi, Mira," Edo-Juvia popped in cheerfully.

"You look pretty happy for someone who's just been embarrassed to their wits," Mira remarked. Edo-Juvia shrugged.

"It's not too bad, if you think about it this way. I mean, I'm only staying here for another day or so, and besides, no one knew that the stuffies were mine. To tell you the truth, all those stuffies of mine were actually… ah… _raided_… from Earthland Juvia, anyway. And Juvia's blushing would surely have given herself away. She got the worst lot of it than me!"

"..." Mira was somewhat appalled at her smirky, cruel happiness, but she had a point, after all.

Suddenly a shadow swept over them. At first glance, Mira would've thought it was a man with a large build, but...

"Gray?" Mira and Edo-Juvia erupted at the same time.

"Lotsa layers," observed Mira, raising an eyebrow.

"As usual," shrieked Edo-Juvia, as if it was not a surprise. It dawned on Mira that there was a possibility that this was Edo-Gray!

"Sorry, Juvia," Edo-Gray blushed. Mira felt her heart melting, but Edo-Juvia turned up her nose.

"Didn't I tell you not to wear so many layers, you scaredy cat?" she sneered. Edo-Gray's eyes fell to the ground.

"I... I took some off, like, a few..." he mumbled softly. Edo-Juvia looked at him for a moment, then grinned and spread her arms open wide.

"Come here, Gray. It's great to finally see someone I know," she laughed, sounding nothing like she had a few seconds ago. Gray blinked, then ran forward without hesitation. Edo-Juvia smiled, and so did Mira. I mean, who wouldn't adore Edo-Gray with his loveable many layers?

* * *

><p>"You <em>WHAT?<em>"

"Y-yes," Juvia said uncertainly.

Lyon paced back and forth beside her on the stone pavement outside the guild.

"I can't believe it. I just can't believe it," he kept muttering to himself.

"You... you do not want Juvia?" She felt like her heart was breaking. First Gray, now Lyon?

"No, it's not that!" Lyon cried hastily. "I really, uh… yeah, like I said… I return your feelings, I think, but let's take this slowly, okay?"

"_You think_...? Um..." Juvia wondered if Lyon was just shocked. _Yes, that's it, he's probably just shocked. It's okay. Lyon still likes Juvia._

"Juvia!" shouted a voice, and suddenly Lyon was thrown back, and Gray was standing between them. His voice was filled with anger.

"Gray..." Lyon gasped.

"Lyon..."

"Juvia is _mine!_" they whooped in unison, and raced toward each other.

"Wait!" Juvia called, but they didn't listen. She thought fast.

_No, it shouldn't be like this! Juvia wants Gray and Lyon to get along. She always has. But shouldn't she let Lyon beat Gray after him embarrassing Juvia like that? Of course, Gray does seem like he might really love me. Aii! Juvia does not know who's side she is on..._

"I'm gonna defeat you, Lyon!" Gray hissed through the decreasing gap between him and his rival. "I really need Juvia! Ice Make: Ice Spears!

"All lies, like the lies you told my Juvia. 'Love'? You don't really love her, you just feel jealous, that's all. Your love isn't real. Ice Make: Hyenas!" countered Lyon. Gray faltered at the last part, and Lyon took the chance to box him with his ice creatures.

"Gray..." whispered Juvia, watching as Gray tumbled to the ground.

"Ha. I told you I'd teach you a lesson, ice maggot," said Lyon triumphantly. Juvia felt her heart break, but she knew her duty. She rushed to Lyon's side and smiled up at him.

"Juvia thinks you did a wonderful job!"

"I know, right? The little creep will never dare offend me again," Lyon finalized.

"...Baka..." Gray winced as pain shot up his leg. "I'll get her back, just you wait and see."

"In your dreams. We're gonna get steady, and you're gonna snap like a twig."

"No way! I won't allow it!"

"Way," Lyon said, grinning, and, taking Juvia by the arm, strode away.

Gray seethed with anger as he watched them disappear down the street, but knew that this time, he had to lie low. There was nothing he could do, not right now.

The contest between Juvias to win Gray was over. Now, it was a contest between Lyon and Gray... to win Juvia.


	12. The Third Day: Wait, What!

**Chapter 12: The Third Day: Wait, What?!**

"Gray!" called Edo-Juvia, prancing and zipping through the courtyard. She finally found Gray and dashed to him, watching his surprised face. Her hands flew to her hips.

"What in the world did you do that for, Gray?"

"Uh..." _Guess she's gotten over her embarrassment, _Gray thought, his heart sinking. _And turned to anger,_ he added, the pit in his stomach growing rapidly. He stared down at his glassful of ice water.

"Don't 'uh' me, Gray! I know who did it," she hissed.

"Y-you do...?"

"Yes. And _you're_ going to help me get revenge on him!"

"Wait. Wha-?!" _I thought she said she knew who did it. I guess she thinks it's someone else! I'm safe!_

_Hold on a second. Exactly _who_ is the 'someone else', and why did she ask me why I did 'that' when she thinks I didn't do 'that'?! What _is _'that'?!_

He was utterly confused.

"What did I do...?"

"What do you mean what did you do? Isn't it any faithful knight's job to make sure things like these don't happen? Shouldn't you be intent on taking revenge?"

"..." Gray rolled his eyes and took a sip from his glass.

"Now, anyway, you need to help me get back at Bixlow and Freed!"

"B-Bixlow and Freed?!" Gray spit out his ice water.

"_Yes,_ didn't you hear me correctly?" Edo-Juvia said impatiently.

"What makes you think it was them? I mean, not that I know who did it," Gray added hastily.

"Because they were snickering over something and pointing when I walked back into the guild after that horrific scene."

"Oh." _That's right,_ Gray reminded himself. _They were the ones who lent the black clothes to us. We weren't planning on telling them our plans, but since we said we were gonna have to burn the clothes afterwards, they sort of hankered us into telling them. Whooops..._

"So, come _on_!" Edo-Juvia grabbed his arm and yanked him in the direction of the guild.

"Hold on," Gray protested, and the blunette stopped and stared at him. "I..." He took a deep breath. "I can't. I have stuff to do, Ed- uh, Juvia."

"But can't you tell this is important?" Edo-Juvia whined.

"Um, I can help you?" popped in a shy-sounding voice. Gray gasped.

"W-whoa, it's YOU!" the stranger and Gray shouted in unison, catching eye of each other.

"We never properly introduced ourselves," the stranger said.

"Okay. I'm Gray Fullbuster, from Earthland, here."

"Pleased to meet you, Fullbuster. I'm Gray Surge, from Edolas. It's great to see you again!" The two grinned at each other, until Edo-Juvia interrupted with an impatient 'ahem'.

"Oh, sorry, Fullbuster. Looks like we'll have to chat another time."

"Yeah, sure!" Gray watched as the two from Edolas departed to get revenge on Freed and Bixlow.

_Should I stop them? Freed and Bixlow are innocent... but it's better if it's them than me! _Gray thought, grinning. _Besides, those two can take care of themselves. They can use magic, they're part of the Raijinshuu, and Edo-Juvia and Surge only have fist power._

_Now it's time for me to step in between Lyon and Juvia..._

* * *

><p>Juvia shifted in her seat and glanced shyly up at Lyon. They were sitting in a fancy diner, with only the sounds of faint classical music and the tinkling of glass and cutlery. The sounds of the street were almost impossible to make out, and Lyon stared distractedly through the glass wall and at the bustling road.<p>

"Lyon?" Juvia asked softly.

"Huh?" He snapped back, as if returning from a distant world.

"Is... is something wrong?" Juvia prodded cautiously.

Lyon paused, then smiled. "Of course not. Everything is perfect, now that I have you, my dear Juvia."

"And Juvia has you."

"It's a good thing, too. You know French, right? Perfect for a French diner. Although even if you didn't speak French, you'd still be the most beautiful girl in the world."

Juvia felt her cheeks warm up. She hadn't felt this way since meeting Gray. Loving someone and having someone else love you were different things.

_But he still hasn't mentioned marrying Juvia, like he was about to say until Gray-sama barged in. _

Her heart still pounded a little, remembering Gray and his earnest look, his begging for her to take him back.

_What if... he really meant it? What if he does love Juvia, and really wants her back? _

_But if he did, then why would he embarrass Juvia so much?_

_True..._ Juvia's cheeks flamed harder, remembering the scene of harassment earlier that morning. She hoped no one was still talking about it.

"Juvia?"

"Y-yes?" She darted back to reality to find Lyon and a tall waiter with a curly waxed moustache staring at her patiently.

"Oh. Um, Juvia will take a _croque monsieur, merci_," she said hastily, glancing down at her menu.

"And the appetizer?" the waiter asked.

"Um..." Juvia looked at Lyon, who shrugged.

"..." The waiter stood with one eyebrow raised, and hand poised, hovering, in the air above his notepad.

"_Soupe aux escargot_, _merci_," Juvia put in, giving another swift glance at her menu.

"Avec fromage?"

"Um.. _Qui_," Juvia said. _Cheese is yummy, after all... I wonder what escargot is?_

The waiter raised his already-high eyebrow higher, making Juvia blink, and shrugged and scribbled it down. Then he left.

A few minutes later, the waiter returned, both eyebrows raised so that they touched the top of his gleaming bald head like a furry centrepiece on a peach-coloured, shiny table. He gently placed two bowls of some steamy soup onto the table, and left with a wide, grand flourish: "Bon appetit!"

Lyon and Juvia glanced at each other and looked down. The soup was darkish gray and let off an appetizing, yet thin, wispy smell, almost like fresh dirt. Inside rolled balls of shiny, dark, well, _something_, with herbs looking like some type of parsley floating on top of the soup_. _Juvia lifted a fork and prodded one. It was soft, and almost squishy. Juvia gagged.

"Are you sure this is edible?" Lyon said, staring at her.

"Juvia will eat one and see." Juvia forked a ball and, trying to calm down the lump in her throat, popped it in her mouth. It was slimy at first, but once you got past that, it was actually pretty good. The cheese gave it a familiar, cheesy, almost tangy taste, and the herbs made her mouth water. It was pretty tasty, she had to admit after she'd washed it down with some of the soup.

"How is it?" Lyon sounded doubtful.

"It's... unique," Juvia said.

"Does it taste okay?"

"Juvia doesn't think it is that bad."

Lyon glanced at her, then sighed and forked one himself. Suddenly he started coughing and grabbed his water. Juvia watched, uncertain whether she should speak or not. When he finally calmed down, he glanced at her and sighed.

"I thought you knew French!" Juvia thought he said, but it was probably just her imagination. Lyon looked back down at his plate, and fidgeted with his napkin.

"Are you okay?" Juvia asked tentatively.

"Yeah. Um, Juvia?"

"Hm?"

"I... I've got something to tell you."

Juvia felt her heart skip a beat. _What if he doesn't like the escargot? Maybe he's so tired, so he just wants to go home. _Juvia sighed, but told herself that things like that would happen, and it'd be okay. There were always other chances for dates with Lyon in the future.

"I-I don't know how to say this, but... can we break up?."

* * *

><p><strong>Ahhh, cliffhangers. They're so beautiful, aren't they? ….Cackle*...<strong>

**Please R&R!**


	13. The Third Day: Thank You

**Chapter 13: The Third Day: Thank You…**

"W-what did you say?" Juvia whispered.

"I mean, uh, I just... like... I..."

"You _what_?" Juvia felt like her heart was breaking. She had been right; first Gray, now Lyon. Was she really that despicable?

"I like someone else."

"B-but you said you loved Juvia! How could those words be told to someone else? You... you baka! _Juvia_loves you, not someone else!" Tears were streaming down Juvia's cheeks for the second time that day.

"I have someone else in my life now, Juvia. If you really loved me, you'd let me go!" His voice was low, but loud and threatening, almost. Juvia shuddered.

_What kind of a monster would be able to change his mind about who he loves?_

"I already did love someone. I just didn't, well, realize it until you told me you loved me. I never thought you'd actually love me back. I just... There was already someone else in my life, someone who ignored me just like you did recently, but now she is taking an interest in me..." Lyon's voice trailed off, and he slumped in his chair, unsure.

"I was just a replacement?" Juvia screamed. People from nearby tables turned and stared at her, but she went on, ignoring them. "You two-timer! I was just a filler, to keep your mind off whoever else it was that you loved! You baka," she hissed. Her eyes were wide and dark.

"I-I'm sorry, Juvia. It's just..."

"It's _just_. It's _just!_ How can you say that to me? I'm a girl, you know. I have feelings. Don't make me raise my hopes up only to send them crashing down again! Do you know how many times-" Her voice was choked with tears and bitter anger from past memories. "-this kind of thing has happened to me? When I was little, everyone ignored me, up until the time I met Bora in high school. He was the first one who treated me like a human... but eventually cast me away, again."

"I know, and I'm sorry, but-"

"No! I don't want any apologies." Juvia's voice shook, but she took a deep breath and continued. "Thank you for showing Juvia that no one is fit for her. Her destiny is full of raindrops and storms, nothing more."

"Juvia..." Lyon said, but Juvia only shook her head, got up from her seat, and departed.

_Drip, drop._ It started to rain.

_Again, and again. Juvia thought she was destined for more. She thought her life was prepared for Bora, then Gray, then Lyon... But none of them worked out_, Juvia thought painfully.

Suddenly she was overcome with a feeling unlike any other. It was as hot as lava, searing and burning through her mind. It was a fierce anger to destroy Lyon's other lover, to teach her a lesson, and get Lyon back.

Wait. No. Get Lyon back? No. _Juvia will show him her way of revenge too,_she thought, a wicked gleam lighting her eyes. _First the other girl, then Lyon, then Gra-_

She stopped at his name. Gray... the one she'd been in love with for so long, the one who'd showed her the clear blue of the sky and the brilliant beams of the sun for the first time.

_He said he loved me... Should I let him try again? Alright. Juvia will test him first..._

* * *

><p>Gray kicked a pebble out of his path. He hadn't been able to find Juvia anywhere.<p>

The sky had suddenly opened up and started raining. Good. It fit his mood exactly. Magnolia hadn't had so much rain since...

Wait a second. Why was the rain so hard, so heavy... _And it's raining only on me?_

Gray looked up, then wished he hadn't as the rain got into his eyes. Rubbing them, he stared outside his circle of rainwater. It was as if some storm cloud was following him around, and everywhere else was bright and sunny. _Weird..._

"Gray-sama..."

Gray froze. Only one person called him that, and that person was the very one who'd been ignoring him the past few hours... The very one who he'd been looking for.

"Juvia!" He grinned despite the rain. "I knew you'd come back." Then his smile fell. _This_ was Juvia, _his_ Juvia? Her eyes were lit with a mischievous beam, almost like Edo-Juvia's. Her hair whipped backwards in an epic moment, making the hairs on the back of Gray's neck bristle.

"Yes, it is Juvia, her Gray-sama."

_Her._ She'd called him _her_ Gray. Yes, this was Juvia... wasn't it?

"Are you going to let me take you back? I meant what I said, you know. I love you more than anything!" Gray burst, eager to win her back.

"Then what did you embarrass Juvia this morning for?" Juvia demanded. Inside, she smiled. This was going perfectly according to her plan.

"Uh..."

"Here. Why don't you prove that you love Juvia? She will give you a special initiation. Do something against your ethics for Juvia."

"As in...?"

"Destroy Lyon's lover."

"Wh-what? Lyon's lover? He has a lover?" Gray was aghast.

"Yes."

"Why do you want me to, uh, destroy Lyon's lover?"

"Because she defied Juvia, and made Lyon disappoint Juvia too," Juvia answered practically.

"But to destroy...?"

"Yes. Do whatever you can to ruin her reputation and make her succumb to Juvia's wrath!"

Gray gulped. This wasn't like his Juvia...

"And also, make Lyon pay."

"How? Why? Wha-!"

"Make him yearn to have Juvia back. Make him beg! And then Juvia will reject him just as bad as he rejected me," Juvia said, revenge sparking in her eyes.

"But-"

"No buts, Gray-sama. Don't you want me back?" she said, her eyebrow raised.

"I.." Gray sighed. "I can't do it, Juvia. I can't ruin a girl's ego, or kill my childhood schoolmate, even if he _was_ my rival."

"Then you won't get me." Juvia turned and began to walk away, her heart cracking deeper with every step. She hadn't expected him to refuse, and had been relying on his approval, begging silently to show her that he still wanted her.

"Juvia, come back!" Gray called. Juvia stopped, but didn't turn around.

"I... I need you." Footsteps pounded closer to Juvia on the stone pavement, and she suddenly felt arms wrapping around her waist. "Please, give me a chance! I know this isn't like you, dearest Juvia. Please... be yourself."

"You don't have any proof," Juvia said, still unconfident. She tried to push his arms off of her, but he only squeezed her tighter.

"Juvia, listen to me. I don't love you because you're beautiful. You are beautiful to me because I love you!"

"Gray-sama..." Juvia's heart pounded. Yes, this was what she'd been waiting for. He loved her for _her_, not for what she might want to do, or might've done.

She sighed and looked up at his face. Dark, sincere, kind eyes gazed.

Gray's voice was warm and eager. "Juvia. Please, believe me, okay? I don't know if I can do anything to prove it to you, but until I can, just give me a chance."

It startled Juvia, but she simply paused, then smiled. _Maybe it's not such a good idea to get revenge on Lyon and his love. If it wasn't for them, then Juvia wouldn't be able to hear Gray-sama say these words._

She glanced up at Gray, a smile lighting up her face. All traces of revenge and hatred left her eyes, and Juvia - _Gray's_ Juvia - was back. "Okay. Juvia will give you a chance," she said softly.

"Yes! Thank you," Gray said, relieved. He took off his jacket and wrapped it around Juvia. "Come on, let's get back to the guild and tell everyone, okay?"

Juvia nodded. As they set off toward the guild, she thought, _Thank you, Lyon, for allowing me to experience this..._

* * *

><p><strong>Ah, finally got her wish... Please review!<strong>


	14. Kidnapped?

**Chapter 14: Kidnapped?!**

"You're a stuffy old groom now!"

"I think it's manly..."

"No one cares what you think."

"Yeah? What will you think when this manly man pounds your face into the ground?"

"..."

_**Bam! CRASH! ...Cr-rrr-aa-ack!**_

"What'd you do that for, baka?"

"Just giving you what you deserve."

"I deserve a fish! ...Lushy?"

"NOOOO! And my name's Lucy!"

"Hey, back to my point before... you're an old groom now!"

"Quit calling me that or I'll tell everyone who you like, _Mister Flame Breath_!"

"...Hey! D-Don't tell Lushy..."

"He liiiikes her!"

"Gray-sama likes Lucy-san?" _**Thump.**_

"No, you got it wrong, Juvia! Don't faint again!"

"…"

_**SLAP.**_

"...HEY! What'd you hit me for?"

"Hehe, there was a fly on your face..."

"LIAR! Get over here and I'll get rid of that beetle on your face~!"

Yep. It was day four of the love contest... or at least it would've been. The contest was officially over.

"I'm so happy everything is settled," sighed Juvia, getting up from the floor.

"Yeah," agreed Edo-Juvia, smiling at her. Now that they had their own boy toys, the two counterparts had become more friendly.

"Wait a second, the guild is suddenly a third quieter than usual!"

"Yes... Gray-sama is not here!"

"Neither is Gray. Where could they be?"

"It's probably nothing," Juvia said practically. "They are likely off doing a mission or something like that."

"Yes, but Gray wouldn't run off without me. Ever since he found out I was here, he's been attached to me 24/7. I had to scold him and threaten him last night before I could eat my midnight snack in peace," Edo-Juvia laughed, then shrugged.

"You're right. Usually Gray goes with Juvia, or Natsu and Happy, or Lucy, or Erza!"

"We'd better find them."

Edo-Juvia got up from her chair. Juvia followed, but suddenly a blue blur dashed in front of her eyes and disappeared as abruptly as it had arrived. She felt something on her head, and patted her hair. Sure enough, something made of paper was tucked in the plaits of her blue hair.

"An envelope," Edo-Juvia said, taking it. Juvia gathered close and they opened it together.

_Dear Juvia and Juvia,_

_We are delighted to inform you that we have kidnapped your lovely Gray and Gray. Who knows? We may throw them in the river with bowling balls chained to their legs, or snip off their fingers one by one and send you them in the mail._

_But we are rather bored, so we have decided we'd like a bit more entertainment. If you will come to the meeting place tonight at 6:30, we may give them back to you. Make sure to come alone, and do not tell anyone or you will each receive one of Gray or Gray's pinky fingers in the mail tomorrow morning._

_See you there!_

_~ Sincerely, the King of the Cobras_

_ps. The exact meeting place is attached._

Juvia lifted a small yellow sticky note out of the envelope. Scrawled on it were the words, _At the Tree with the Cobra._

The girls looked at each other.

"G-Gray-sama..."

"Gray..."

"..." They sat, oblivious to the sounds around them.

"This whole thing does sound kind of childish," Edo-Juvia pointed out. "I mean, who would write "Who knows?" on a ransom-type letter? Sounds kiddish to me."

"Yes, but what if this is all the truth? If we do not comply, Gray and Gray will lose their fingers or be drowned," Juvia said anxiously. "It could just be a group of ninnies with bad grammar," she suggested innocently.

"Y-yes..."

"Okay, it's agreed. We'll go," Juvia said, glancing around nervously.

"Remember not to tell anyone, not even Lucy-san," Edo-Juvia reminded.

"..."

"That's alright! We can always make our own Immune Portal!" Levy's cheery voice came floating into their conversation. "The same way we got you and Gray to come over to Earthland last week!"

"L-Levy-san! We're not supposed to let anyone else know..."

"Huh, who cares?" Edo-Juvia said. "If she has a solution for us, it wouldn't hurt to talk, would it?"

"Well, yes," Juvia said. "Okay. Levy, what is it?"

"We can always make our own portal to Edolas," Levy repeated.

"Really? Problem solved, then!" Edo-Juvia said, breathing a sigh of relief. Levy suddenly looked unsure.

"Well, the only time you can do that is on the night of an eclipse."

"When our next eclipse?"

"Um... tonight. Will you have your business done by midnight tonight? You could always wait for the next eclipse to go back home, but that won't be until next year."

Juvia and Edo-Juvia glanced at each other, then Juvia nodded. "We'll have to take that chance."

"Okay! So our task for today is to get this whole list of supplies to make the portal!" Levy exclaimed, holding up a list three meters long. The Juvias sweatdropped.

Juvia thought, _Hey, it looks like she already knew this would happen. I wonder if..._ But she didn't get to the end of her thought when her counterpart tugged at her sleeve.

"Come on! We have to get everything before midnight!"

"Before 5 o'clock," Levy corrected. "Then we'll have about an hour to prepare. Here, I'll split the shopping list into three parts, and we'll all be in charge of a third of the supplies.

"Okay." Juvia nodded and took her piece. Then they all headed out the door of the guild.

What they didn't know was that two shadows in the depths of the guild were watching their every move.

"You think they'll fall for it?"

"There's no way they won't. We'll have them in our grasps by nightfall." The second one's teeth gleamed white in the darkness, and his bloody red eyes flashed with anticipation.

"All we need now is... carrots, periwinkle, a dead rat's tail, and..." Levy looked up from her sheet. "A bottle of cheese."

"A bottle of cheese? Where in the world would we find that?" Edo-Juvia seemed to think it was a preposterous idea.

"Easy. Take a bottle and fill it with, um, melted cheese," Juvia suggested slowly.

"Yeah, that would work," Levy agreed. She marched forward into a shop with a sign hanging over the doorway: _Bina`s Baubles._ "We might find something here!" she called over her shoulder. The blunettes darted after her.

They entered a quiet store with shelves and shelves of quaint, nonsense merchandise. Bits and bundles of junk and random items sat crookedly in messy, stained containers. Juvia fingered a doll leaning on a clown's shoulder.

"... Yes, a wine bottle will do," Levy was saying to a man at the counter. He looked about twenty, maybe 18-19 years old, although in reality he was thirty-one. He had dashing, clear blue eyes and wispy blonde hair, with an innocent, winning smile. His nametag read Cutch.

"Sure thing, hun. Need anything else?" He flashed a grin at Levy, who shrugged.

"Um... do you have any old vintage books or cool stationery or reading glasses? That type of thing."

"Of course! Please come this way."

Levy followed Cutch into an aisle. "Here we are."

"Waaa! These are so cool!" Levy picked out a few different pencils and glasses, then finally decided on the latest pair of Wind Reading Glasses. "These are really good quality," she said, peering into an open testing book. "I can read nearly a hundred times faster with these!" She turned to the Juvias and clutched her bag, which contained the glass bottle. "Let's go."

"Ah, wait!" Cutch darted away, leaving Levy confused. _What in the world...? Maybe he has a discount item he wants to sell to us._

He returned with a sheepish smile and pink cheeks. Cutch walked over to Levy. "Um, this is for you," he said, ducking his head down and staring at the ground. Levy took the item from his outstretched hand and examined it. Then she broke out into a smile.

"Cool, thanks, Cutch!" She turned to her friends. "It's the latest of the Secrets of Mount Kazah series!"

"Do... do you like it?"

"Of course! Thanks, but... I'm afraid I can't take it. It's yours."

"No, it's yours, for free! Please take it," Cutch said earnestly. Juvia and Edo-Juvia glanced at each other, grinning devilishly.

"Juvias, don't do that to me!" Levy cried.

"Do what, Levy?" Edo-Juvia asked innocently. Levy frowned, then blushed and tucked the book into her pouch.

"Levy... that's a cute name."

"Eh?" Levy's eyes widened, then she shrank back, blushing furiously. "Um, thanks, Cutch. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Sure thing, Levy. Do you want to, uh, go out somewhere this Saturday?" he burst out boldly.

"Sorry, Cutch. I've got my eyes on someone else already, but thanks for the offer. We can still be friends, alright?"

"Oh, okay." Cutch looked sheepish, but nodded and waved goodbye as the three girls moved out of the shop.

"So, who do you have your 'eyes on', Levy-chan?" teased Edo-Juvia once they were well into the street.

"N-no one in particular," Levy stammered. Juvia laughed.

"You don't have to tell us if you don't want to."

"Y-yeah. Come on, let's find the rest of the portal supplies."

**Snicker. I wonder who Levy's 'got her eye on'...! ** **Please review! Thanks :)**


	15. Fight!

**Chapter 15: Fight!**

"Ice make: Knife!" Gray struggled against the ropes that bound him, trying in earnest to slash them off with the ice knife, clutching it between his teeth.

"It's no use, Gray. The ropes are too strong, you can't possible be able to lean enough to get it to cut the rope at your position. It's a matter of physics and location and you don't have that right now," said Edo-Gray.

"Gutta-geep-grying!" Gray huffed, the icy knife jabbed between his teeth. He leaned backwards and tried to reach the knife to his rope hands.

"Aha!" Edo-Gray said suddenly. His eyes lit up with hope. "I.. think I remember something that Juvia taught me - I mean my Juvia. On one of our rare missions together, we were tied up after being caught by some underground criminals, and she showed me how to slowly rotate my wrists to loosen the knots. Here, see?"

He started twisting his hands in circles. After a while, the rope loosened from his wrists. Gray followed his example.

"No, don't clutch your fist or it will be harder to slide out," Edo-Gray explained. Gray nodded, spat out his ice knife onto the ground, and did it again, correctly this time.

Soon both boys had loosened the knots.

"C'mon, Surge. Let's push ourselves back-to-back and untie each other's knots now that they're looser," Gray suggested.

The two boys shifted in their spots and soon felt each other's hands.

"Me first." Gray started to fiddle with his friend's rope.

After about ten minutes, he managed to untie the knot, which was actually a knot and then a knot and then a knot and then a knot...

"Those guys are stupid," muttered Gray as Edo-Gray got to work on his knots. "The knots are too easy to untangle once they're loose, and they think that more than one knot can stop us from escaping?"

"Yeah. They sound pretty childish to me. And they think they're clever for hiring a professional knot-tier to teach them how to tie knots!I heard them talking as they carried us in the garbage bags."

"Wait, you were awake? I thought the fed us something to make us fall asleep," Gray said, puzzled.

"Oh, I threw most of it back up when they picked us up. That's why my clothes are stained but at least I wasn't knocked out like you were. That's another thing my Juvia showed me."

Basically what had happened was, the two Grays had gone outside into the garden to escape the chaos inside, especially Natsu and Happy's teasing. As they walked around together, chatting, suddenly they had been attacked and grabbed. Before they could defend themselves, they'd been fed a liquid concoction by mysterious men with cloaks covering their whole bodies. As they were falling asleep (or Gray was, anyway) the men shoved them into garbage bags and carried them around town until they came to wherever this place was.

Which, for all they knew, was a dirty shack with had nothing in it. Their only source of escaping was through a high, high window, or the door.

"But it shouldn't be too hard to knock 'em out once we get outa here," Gray whispered cautiously, in case their abductors were outside the door.

"Yeah, seeming as they're so dumb and all," said Edo-Gray, a bit hesitantly. He was worried, in truth. If their kidnappers were smart enough to catch them off guard and kidnap them, how was it possible that they wouldn't take extra care in binding up their captives?

"But... maybe there's something going on. Like, they're letting us untangle ourselves so easily," Edo-Gray added slowly.

"Of course not!" Gray said, mostly saying that just to reassure himself, too.

"Alright. If you say so. How are we going to escape?" Edo-Gray asked.

"Lemme see. Well, there's probably a guard standing right outside the door, maybe even two. So we'll have to tackle those guys first. I've got a lot of experience with magic, so that'll come in handy. You used to use magic spears, right? What about now?" Gray asked.

"Uh, I still like to use spears, but I can also punch people, too, despite my weak puppy look," Edo-Gray answered, shrugging. "Of course, I still have to put on my special thick, padded gloves." He pulled out two _things_ that looked rather like balls of fabric, which he slipped onto his hands. "There."

"Uh... okay," Gray said, trying not to stare.

He got up from his spot and muttered, "Ice Make: Floor!" Suddenly the floor was covered in a thin but strong sheet of ice. Edo-Gray shivered a bit, then took a tiny, tentative step onto the ice. He slipped and fell.

"C'mon, don't be so clumsy! We've got to escape!" Gray said. He walked across the ice like he was walking on dirt.

"How do you manage to do that?" puzzled a wide-eyed Edo-Gray. He swallowed, then carefully flopped onto the ice, his back facing upwards. He used his "punching gloves" to push himself across the ice.

Gray tried not to laugh as his friend seemed to be making snow angel movements to move on the ice. He headed for the door and paused in front of a crack in the wooden door.

Edo-Gray looked up enough to see Gray beckoning for him to hurry up. Gray held up two fingers: _Two guards outside the door._

Edo-Gray grinned. It was time to show his friend what he could do.

Gray lifted his fingers in counting mode. One.. Two... Three!

"Go!" Gray kicked open the door and dashed outside, barreling over one of the guards, whose hair was dark like Gray's. Both guards had black fabric tied over their mouths and nose, like ninjas.

Edo-Gray pushed himself up off the ice and joined him. Immediately the dark-haired guard tackled Gray, and the other one, whose hair was silver with streaks of purple, challenged Edo-Gray.

"Ice make: Hyenas!" Gray exclaimed. Instantly the dark-haired guard was attacked by shrieking, icy white hyenas

"Ha! You're not going to defeat me that easily," the dark-haired guard said. "Metal Make: Iron Filings!" He flung his fingers out in a casting motion, and Gray's hyenas disappeared as tiny iron shards appeared out of nowhere and punctured the ice creatures.

"Metal magic, huh? Never heard of that," Gray said. "Ice Make: Iceball Attack!"

"Iceball attack...?" the guard repeated. His eyes widened as balls of cold eyes zoomed at him, beating him up.

"That's one nasty bruise," Gray said with a grin, surprised at his own power.

"One nasty bruise that I'm going to repay!" shouted the guard. "Metal Make: Golden Gun!" A golden gun flickered into sight at the guard's shoulder, and he gave several warning shots to the roof of the building. They shot straight through.

"Yeah? I'll give you a taste of my own medicine," Gray hissed, getting into the mood. "Ice Make:Repeating Blaster!" He conjured a gun at his own side, and cocked it.

He flicked a lever, and immediately ice bullets zoomed one after the other at the guard.

The dark-haired guard snickered and cocked his own gold gun. With one tap of the trigger, bullets sang through the air. Some crashed into Gray's bullets and they all disintegrated; others made their way out of the jumble and aimed for Gray.

_Whoops. This guy seems a little more skilled than he seems, _Gray thought desperately. He dropped his gun and dodged as fast as he could.

The heat of the flying bullets made his ear sting. One of them grazed his shoulder.

"Agh!" he cried, grasping his shoulder in pain.

"Poor weakling, do you need a break? You should know better than to play with magic."

"Don't-call-me-that!" Gray managed through gritted teeth.

Meanwhile, Edo-Gray was having his own fight.

He was involved in a fistfight with the silver-and-purple-haired guard.

The guard was having a troublesome time. None of his punches were making it through Edo-Gray's many thick layers. Whereas Edo-Gray had fist protection and training from Edo-Juvia. Still, the guard was smart, despite the fact that with his shocking hair and gangster attitude. He aimed from the parts of Edo-Gray that weren't covered by layers.

"Come... on! Just lose already!" Edo-Gray grunted.

"Yeah, right, man. I got my own ego to maintain around here, and I'm not gonna let some nerd boy ruin my rep," the gangster guard said as he jabbed Edo-Gray in his Achilles tendon.

"What rep?" Edo-Gray mumbled as he stumbled, then punched the gangster square in the nose.

"Watch the nose! The girls love the nose," the gangster dude scowled.

"Yep. Just as much as they love broccoli," Edo-Gray said, trying to sound effortless while in truth, he was having trouble breathing.

"Didn't your momma ever tell you that broccoli's good for you?" the gangster sneered, and slapped Edo-Gray in the back of his head.

"..." Edo-Gray returned the slap with a box on the gangster's ear.

"C'mon, dude! Ease up a bit, will you? Too many punches is gonna make my complexion turn blue, and the girls love my complexion." The gangster grinned.

_Let me wipe that grin off your face. _"Don't you know I've got to get back to my friends? The sooner you let me go, the sooner you can go see 'the girls', right?" Edo-Gray sighed as the two kicked up dust.

"Nice try, but the girls like it better when their crush ain't a wimp. Besides, it's no use tryin' to cross the Boss, right, Mickal?" the gangster called to the other guard as he kicked Edo-Gray in the shin.

Mickal, the one who was fighting Gray, nodded grimly. "Can't have him getting cross at us, Kazuhiko," he agreed. Then he turned back to Gray. "Metal make: Hammer!"

"Kazuhiko?!" choked Edo-Gray, laughing. "What kind of name is that? Beautiful prince?"

"You don't think I'm radiant? No, seriously, the girls dig it. They are stoked about being saved by a handsome prince. It's every girl's dream. Not that you'd know anything about it, Fancy Pants," Kazuhiko explained as he chicken-winged Edo-Gray and beat him against the outer wall of the shack.

"Oww..." Edo-Gray groaned as his body was slammed against the hard wall. He tried to get up and continue fighting, but Kazuhiko seemed to have drained all his fighting power. His whole body ached with pain, both from the gangster's stinging insults and the fight.

Gray saw his friend defeated, and sighed. Now he had to fight two people. _Oh, well. The more the merrier, _Gray thought with a grin, and stepped forward to take on the two opponents.


	16. Continued Mysteries

**Chapter 16: Continued Mysteries...**

Kazuhiko snickered at Edo-Gray. "Told ya. Another victory for me, and another prince-princess session for the girls. Huh, pal, you don't look so good," he said, suddenly pretending to be concerned for Edo-Gray. "The girls aren't gonna dig the purple and blue marks on your neck."

"Ice Make: Iceballs," Gray muttered, and directed them at the gangster, who was still busy teasing Edo-Gray. The balls zoomed in his direction.

"One down, one to go." Gray decided as Kazuhiko's eyes widened and he collapsed to the ground. Edo-Gray gave a weak smile at Gray. Gray snickered. "That was way too easy."

"Kazuhiko, the girls are gonna be very disappointed in you," Mickal said, grinning.

"I'll take you next," Gray said calmly.

"In your dreams, Ice boy," Mickal said smugly, tilting his head in the most annoying manner.

"I prefer Gajeel's metal magic more than yours. He's so much more... entertaining to fight with," Gray commented, trying to keep his cool (which surprisingly was rather hard for an ice mage to do when one of his friends had just fainted in his beat-up state a few meters away).

"You calling my fighting style boring?"

"You said it, not me."

"Take that back, weakling! I still haven't unleashed my favourite - Metal make: Lethal Bones! This ought to teach you a lesson," Mickal sneered.

Suddenly metal sticks formed from nowhere, molding itself to make the shape of bones. One end had the two familiar boney knobs, and the other end had was sharpened to perfection. Metal spikes adorned the whole cylindrical body of each bone, like with a porcupine.

Mickal raised his hands and held them still. The bones finished materializing and were poised in the air, ready to attack at Mickal's bidding. He seemed casual and willing to bide his time, confident that he would finish the battle with this move.

_Blast it!_ Gray had to admit, Mickal was smart. He knew the spined bones would smash his ice to smithereens.

Gray frowned, then formed an idea. Lowering his head but keeping his eyes on Mickal so his eyes seemed darker than usual, he grinned and muttered, "Ice make: One meter Shield!" An icy shield shimmered into view, glossy and a rather award-winning artistic sculpture. _Nothing nicer than ice,_ Gray thought. His grin widened.

Mickal raised an eyebrow. "Don't give me that "I'm a killer for the looks of evil" look, Ice-ster. That shield will do no good against my Lethal Bones, no matter how thick it is."

"Just you wait and see, Mickal," Gray said just quiet enough so Mickal couldn't hear him.

"We still need the cheese, the two sliced carrots, the periwinkle, and the dead rat's tail," Levy finished.

"Juvia has cheese and carrots at her house," Juvia volunteered. "Should Juvia go get those?"

"Sure!" Levy said, smiling. "You go get the carrots and the cheese and take the bottle with you so you can fill it with the melted cheese. We'll go to the gardening store and find the periwinkle flowers. Meet at the ice cream shop for a small snack in half an hour, okay?"

"Got it!" Juvia slipped away.

"Come on, Juvia," Levy said. "Let's go." Then she stopped and blinked. "Um... Wait a sec. Where did my map go?" Levy muttered to herself, checking her shopping bag.

Edo-Juvia laughed. "I know where the gardening store is. I took special note of it in case Gray wanted to buy me a corset someday. Turns out it came in handy. Follow me!" She marched purposefully down the street, and Levy followed after her with a smile.

* * *

><p>"You no-good piece of cow manure." Mickal spat on the ground. Gray watched with disgust as his spittle dissolved into the earth. He took a tentative step forward on the ground, hoping to find exactly where Mickal hadn't spat on before. But he couldn't fight with his mind on spittle spots. Besides, if he used his magic to make an ice floor, it'd just drain his magic powers and it wouldn't help the fight.<p>

Or would it?

Gray grinned as a plan unraveled itself in his mind.

"Ice Make: Ice Floor!" Gray shouted. Immediately the ground was covered in a cold, clear, slippery sheet of unbreakable ice. Gray smiled and leaned on one leg, already mastered the act of standing on ice.

Mickal was not so lucky. "You flippin' ice mmmruugph!" he cried as he slipped and his face slammed against the ice.

Gray laughed and stripped his shirt. Instantly the cold breeze drifting from the sturdy ice overwhelmed him, boosting his mindset. "You're flippin', not me," he snickered. It was a cheesy pun, but Mickal seemed pissed when he finally got up onto his feet. Very, very pissed.

"Shut it!" he hollered. "Metal Rain Attack!"

He staggered onto his feet, and tried to keep his balance as he flung random metal slivers at Gray. But because his hands and position were off-balance, the metal simply flew past Gray and hit trees nearby.

"'Metal Rain Attack"?" Gray repeated. "Juvia is _so_ much better at the waterworks than you could ever be."

"Why you-"

"Ice Make: Prison!" Gray shouted cheerfully. Ice bars rose from the ground with a loud rumble and trapped Mickal in their midst.

Wide-eyed, Mickal mustered all his metallic powers and slashed them against the icy walls, but his efforts were to no avail. The walls barely shuddered. "I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS!" he shrieked at Gray.

"I'm looking forward to it," Gray assured him. He walked over to Edo-Gray and held out a hand. "You okay, Surge?"

"Never felt better," Edo-Gray said, beaming up at his friend. "You really bombed him!" He took Gray's hand and pulled himself onto his feet. "So what's our next step?"

They both looked around them.

The had been trapped in a large hut with nothing in it. Outside seemed like a normal park, except that it wasn't a park that the two Grays had ever been in.

Behind the hut and on both sides of the hut sprang a garden full of beautiful blossoming flowers and beyond the gardens were a mass of tall, towering trees. But ahead of them was... a house?

Actually, the word _house_ was an understatement. It was more like a large, classic villa, with white walls, tons of sunlight streaming through windows in the upper floor, and decorative ivy with tiny flowers creeping up the outside walls. The windows were all one-way, so Gray and Edo-Gray couldn't see inside. The entrance was a double-door, complete with a brass knocker shaped like a lion's head. The doors looked like they were made of metal.

"Now what?" Edo-Gray said.

"We-elll," Gray began. "It looks like whoever is in there doesn't want us to come in. So, we come in. Plus, he's probably Big Daddy Kidnapper, so we can defeat him while we're at it."

"I'm game if you are," Edo-Gray said, not feeling as confident as he sounded. But might as well; after all, Gray got them this far, so why not?

"Great! Let's get inside!" Gray said, his eyes flashing. "C'mon, follow me."

Gray walked the few meters across the grass (he'd turned it back to normal ground after the fight) and fingered the creeping ivy. "I think we could use this to climb the walls and break in through a window. What do you think, Surge?"

Personally Edo-Gray wasn't so sure, but he shrugged. "Okay. But isn't that a little too weak to carry us?"

"Right. Here... Ice Make: Ice Mold!" Gray said, and immediately a glossy cover materialized over the ivy, coating it with ice and making it frozen.

Gray grasped a section of the icy ivy and put his foot on the bottom of the makeshift ladder. "You coming, Surge?"

"Y-yeah, sure!" Edo-Gray said, blinking. He moved forward and tentatively put his foot on the bottom of the ivy ladder. Gray was already twenty rungs above him.

"Come on, hurry up, Surge!" Gray encouraged down to him. "You're going to miss all the fun if you don't hurry."

"But it's _cold_!" Edo-Gray muttered, but Gray didn't hear him.

With a sigh, Edo-Gray pushed himself up onto the ladder and started to climb.

* * *

><p>On the top floor, a boy with gold-and-silver hair sighed in the exact same way that Edo-Gray just did. "Why do I have to do these silly errands for him... The Boss is so demanding!" Sighing again, he picked up a silver tray and ran down a hallway to a pair of gold-leafed doors and kicked them.<p>

"Yori, how many times do I need to remind you that I hate it when you kick the door! Knock it, kid," a bored-sounding male's voice called from inside.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, Boss," Yori grumbled. He balanced the tray in one hand and knocked on the door with a free hand.

"_Now _you may come in," the voice said.

Yori pushed the doors open and walked in.

The room was long, with domed windows on the sides and a gold-fringed, red carpet down the middle. At the far end of the room was an elaborate throne, tinged with silver and rose gold. Upon the throne sat a young male with dark purple hair, streaked with shocking pink highlights, and wild eyes underneath a dark cloak.

"Hi, Boss," Yori said, and walked down the long room and stopped in front of the male.

"Yori, Yori. You're a pathetic existence, do you know that?" he said with a fake sigh. "Although I must say, you are intelligent, but what good is that when you don't put it to use? I'm sure you know by now that I don't like chili pepper pie. Take that tray away and come back with ice cream or something cold." He waved Yori away with a flip of a hand.

"But you said just to get a snack, any snack-!"

"Any snack that _I like_, baka!" He sounded almost _amused_, the idiot.

"Alright, _baka-boss_, I'll be right back." Yori turned to leave, but suddenly the boss spoke up.

"Wait."

"Huh?"

"...I will be... expecting visitors soon. Tell the guards to keep an eye out for strangers. If they see anyone unfamiliar, tell them to lead them here... in a violent way. You know what I mean?"

Yori shuddered and nodded.

"Good. It's just a joke, you see. Nothing more. You may leave now," he said.

Yori caught the white flash of his grin underneath the concealing, shadowy cloak. He turned and walked. As soon as he closed the doors behind him, he broke out into a sweat.

What could his boss be planning?

* * *

><p><strong>I really enjoyed writing this chapter! Please review :)<strong>

**If you want, you can give me suggestions on what happens next... Please R&R  
><strong>


	17. Enchantments

**Chapter 17: Enchantments  
><strong>

Gray kept on climbing, pausing after each floor to observe it through a window, being careful not to be detected.

Edo-Gray was about three floors beneath him, panting. Why was Gray in a hurry? He even sounded _excited_! He couldn't imagine anyone being excited about breaking and entering.

"Awesome!" Gray whistled as he peered into the umpteenth window. Yes, this villa thing was _tall_. Very tall.

"What is it?" Edo-Gray said, curious.

"Something awesome," Gray said bluntly. "Hurry up, I'll show you."

Edo-Gray sighed and scrambled quickly up another flight of makeshift, frozen-ivy steps to where Gray was, faster than before, wondering what Gray was saying was so "awesome".

"What is it?" he repeated when he arrived at where Gray was in double the time he would have normally took.

"Nothing!" Gray said. "Finally, you've caught up. Actually, it's rather odd. Every window I look through looks exactly the same. I wonder why?"

"Beat's me," Edo-Gray said.

"Whatever, maybe whoever owns this place has a bad sense of interior decoration. Come on, let's keep on going."

"But did you really have to trick me like that, Fullbuster?"

"Well, thanks to me, you've caught up, right?"

"Baka," Edo-Gray said, elbowing Gray, which was rather hard to do on the slippery ladder.

Gray just grinned and kept on going.

* * *

><p>"Finally! We're done getting everything. Let's head back to the ice cream shop, 'kay?" Edo-Juvia said, sounding satisfied.<p>

"Fine with me," Levy said. "Once Earthland Juvia comes back, we'll only have the rat's tail left."

"About the names," Edo-Juvia said after a pause. "It's OK to call me Edo-Juvia... it'd be much easier."

"Oh... okay!" Levy said.

"Anyhow, back to our problem. Where would we be able to get something like that?" Edo-Juvia said, puzzled, as they began walking down the street.

"Get something like what?" a small but strong voice asked.

"What-?! What was that?" Edo-Juvia exclaimed.

Levy looked down. "Oh, hi, Lily!"

Patherlily's grinning face beamed up at them. "Hi! Oh, you really do look like Juvia," he mused. "So, what were you guys talking about? I'd be glad to help - if I can."

"I'm sure you can! Do you know where we can find a dead rat's tail?" Edo-Juvia said hopefully.

"Dead rat's tail? I'll do almost anything, but pretend to be a cat? I'm an Exceed, for the Queen's sake!" Pantherlily said, disgusted.

"We didn't mean it that way. It's just we can't find it ourselves, so we decided to ask you, since you are here," Levy soothed quickly. Edo-Juvia smiled.

"...Alright then. I'll see if I can find one," Pantherlily said, looking rather relieved.

"We'll meet you at the ice cream shop. If we aren't there, then we'll probably be back at the guild already," Levy explained. "Try your best! It's important to get our visitors back to their home soon. Oh, and - say hello to Gajeel for me if you see him, will you?"

Pantherlily nodded, spread his wings, and swooped away.

"Ooh, so what's that all about, huh, Levy-chaaan?" Edo-Juvia teased.

"...Um, let's hurry to the ice cream shop. Juvia might be there already, and we shouldn't keep her waiting," Levy said, blushing.

Edo-Juvia snickered and followed Levy down the street again.

* * *

><p>"Cmoncmoncmoncmon!" Gray said as Edo-Gray began lagging again.<p>

"Seriously, how long is this going to take? I thought the villa was only twenty floors. Every time I go up another floor and look down, it doesn't seem like I'm any farther from the ground than I was at ten floors high?!" Edo-Gray muttered. Then he stopped. "Wait a second... Listen, Fullbuster. We've been doing this for at least ten minutes. Shouldn't we be already at the top? So there's only one explanation, right?"

The two boys looked each other in the eye and said in unison, "Magic!"

"Ugh, so basically, once we get to ten floors high, we can't go any higher?" Gray said, raising an eyebrow. No wonder...

"Yeah. C'mon, let's go back down," Edo-Gray began, but stopped. "WHAT?! WE CAN'T GO BACK DOWN, EITHER?!"

"Oy, this is bad news," Gray mumbled.

"You can say that again," Edo-Gray agreed.

"Oy, this is bad news," Gray repeated.

"..." Edo-Gray sighed. "So _now_ what do we do?"

"Uh, go through a window?" Gray suggested.

"What if the windows are enchanted, too?"

"Well, we'll have to take that chance, then, right?" Gray shrugged.

He leaned over and looked through the window, muttering, "I get it now, that's why they all looked the same." Then he rapped the glass window once, just in case, to make sure it wasn't enchanted either.

"Darnit. The glass is too strong. The quality really is good... either that or its got a spell on it or something," Gray called to Edo-Gray.

"So what do we do now?"

"I guess I'll have to use my special cutting technique," Gray sighed.

"What...?"

"Ice Make: Silent Sword!" Gray said. Suddenly, with a small, crackling sound, a blue tinged ice dagger materialized in Gray's hand, some sort of filmy blueish steam rising from it. He winced. "Surge, see the steam stuff? The dagger's cold, even for me. That's why I don't like using it so much, but it is very effective. It's basically the opposite of fire; it doesn't burn through stuff, it _freezes_ through stuff, if you get my point."

"Actually, no, I don't," Edo-Gray said, shrugging.

"Nevermind, I'll explain it all later, maybe. Watch, it's really cool."

Edo-Gray observed as Gray ran the dagger through the glass. The window was so strong that Gray's tool had to move slowly to cut through the glass, but Edo-Gray had to admit; the process was fascinating. One moment there was a window at least five inches thick; the next moment there was a small _clunk_ sound as a large square of glass fell onto the grass ten stories below, blue steam rising from the shape.

"Nice job, even if I say so myself," Gray said. He threw the dagger up, where it disintegrated into powder in midair.

Gray watched the powder fall softly to the grass below. Then he turned and disappeared inside.

Edo-Gray watched his form melt into the shadowy hallway inside, then sighed and followed him through the hole.

* * *

><p>"I'll have a triple-scoop, mango orange for one of them, chocolate mint for another, and fruit swirl for the third scoop, please!" Levy said to the lady at the counter, whose name was Margarita.<p>

"Mango orange and fruit swirl with a chocolate mint scoop? That does _not_ go together!" Edo-Juvia told her friend.

Levy and Edo-Juvia were waiting for Juvia in the ice-cream parlour, and had decided to get some ice cream.

Levy laughed. "I don't mind. Chocolate mint is Gajeel's favourite," she said with a blush. "That is, apart from my special Iron Mix ice cream that I make for him," she explained dreamily.

"Whatever. I'll have a three-scoop too, with one blueberry bubblegum, one chocolate mint, and one Rolo!" Edo-Juvia said.

"Coming right up!" Margarita said as she turned and gave the order to some workers behind her. "By the way, did you know you get a free Surprise Ice Cream of the Day if you order a triple-scoop with chocolate mint? Every week we choose a different ice cream flavour to add the Surprise of the Day to."

"Awesome!" Edo-Juvia said.

"Uh, what's the Surprise Ice Cream for today?" Levy said.

"Well, if I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, would it?" Margarita said with a wink. "But I must say, it's delicious! I rather envy you... Oh! Here you go!" She passed two large triple-scoops over to the girls. "I'll tell one of my workers to give each of you one of the Surprises once they're ready."

Levy and Edo-Juvia nodded and walked back to their table.

"Wonder what the surprise is," mused Levy.

"Well, that lady Margarita said it was delicious, so I can't wait! But first I'm going to dig into my triple-scoop," Edo-Juvia answered cheerfully. She licked the top scoop, which was blueberry bubblegum.

Levy smiled and started to eat her ice cream.

About half an hour later, Levy and Edo-Juvia were getting worried. Juvia still hadn't returned.

"Surely fetching some cheese and carrots wouldn't take that long, would it?" Levy said anxiously.

"It's possible the guys who kidnapped Gray and Gray might have kidnapped her, too," Edo-Juvia said slowly.

"Oh, no, please, no!" Levy whispered frantically. She got up from her seat, scraping the tiles as she pushed herself up so quickly. "Let's check her apartment."

"Alright." Edo-Juvia hurriedly chased after Levy.

"Hey, you need to pay...!" Margarita called. "And I still haven't given you your Surprise for the Day!"

She could only watch helplessly as the two girls ran down the street. She clucked her tongue. "Youngsters these days, they never listen!" And she returned to the counter to serve the next person in line.

They'd arrived a few minutes ago, and found the door locked. No one came to the door, even though they rang the doorbell repeatedly, even knocking on the door just in case the bell was broken. So Levy had magicked herself a lock pick and they entered.

"No. No, no, _n__o_!" Levy cried as she and Edo-Juvia stood in Juvia's kitchen They'd searched the whole house until coming to the kitchen. What they were seeing now was what was making Levy so devastated.

The kitchen was dripping wet. Signs of a fight were everywhere. A little blood was smeared against kitchen cabinets, and Juvia's microwave was beeping continuously.

Edo-Juvia walked over to the microwave, being careful to avoid the shards of broken plates that littered the floor, and opened the door. Inside was the melted bottle of cheese. A pile of carrots were sitting on the counter. Edo-Juvia took them in tucked them in her bag that carried the supplies for the magic summoning of the portal.

"If I'm not mistaken, Juvia was probably in the process of melting the cheese when they attacked," Edo-Juvia said after a moment. She was very good at analyzing situations just by being there, one of the qualities that helped her so much on her missions back in Edolas. "It was probably a brutal battle, since Juvia left so much water everywhere and there's some blood, too. Not enough so she's dead, of course," Edo-Juvia added quickly when she noticed Levy's nervous face.

"Yes, but-but-it's all my fault!" Levy sobbed. "I shouldn't have let her go off on her own. We would have beaten them if we'd all come with her. All just to save time! I should have known better..." She let out another fresh burst of tears.

"By the way, not to be mean, but I really think that we should put your brains to use right now," Edo-Juvia prodded.

"...You're right." Levy sniffed and took a good look around. "I think you're correct in your analysis. Also, the people who took her away are probably Gray and Edo-Gray's kidnappers, too. But the question is, _Why?!_" Levy said.

"Questions later, solutions now. Let's see... is there anything we can see that will help us find out exactly who our attackers are?" Edo-Juvia pondered.

"Yup!" Levy leaned over and picked up a wallet from the ground, carelessly dropped by someone without any thought at all. "If it's in plain sight, it could be that they were in a hurry to get away for some reason. Let's see what's inside."

"Here, I've had experience with these kinds of things before," Edo-Juvia said.

Edo-Juvia pulled on a pair of special gloves and Levy handed her the wallet.

"Hmm, interesting... There's nothing inside," Edo-Juvia said after examining the wallet. "Yep, there's nothing... Wait."

She took out a sharp, gleaming nail file from her purse and began carefully slitting the wallet's leather cover. "Aha!" She took out a tiny black-and-silver object and showed it to Levy. "No idea what it is, but it could be something magical, maybe. Otherwise it doesn't seem like a physical threat."

"I'll bet I can figure out what it is," Levy said, and took the object. "I've read a lot about different enchantments and objects like these..." She examined the object for a while, then looked up, her eyes shining. "I've got it! It's a special internal heat-based explosive that's called Mizu Ka, which means _Water, fire_. Basically it is coated in a black-and silver metal which dissolves when it touches water - it has to be at least 50% water or it doesn't dissolve. It's useful for killing people using drinks. When people swallow it, it dissolves, revealing the inner explosive. The inner explosive erupts when it is met by any amount of heat, and the black-and-silver metal is the only thing that can keep it from exploding. Get it?"

"Yeah."

Edo-Juvia was a wizard when it came to remembering facts. If they were important enough, she could store it in her head and keep it there until she needed it.

"In that case, there's nothing useful. We can't figure out how to get to Gray and Gray..." Edo-Juvia said sadly.

"Or Juvia," Levy added solemnly.

"Then there's only one thing we can do. Keep on looking!" Edo-Juvia announced.

Levy sighed, then nodded. "You're right. Here, let's split up. I'll look in the kitchen and you look in the rest of the house since you're quicker and have an eye for details. The kidnappers could have gotten inside using any window or door."

Edo-Juvia nodded. "Got it." She sounded confident.

But as Levy watched Edo-Juvia walk purposefully out of the kitchen, she wondered if they would really be able to rescue Gray, Edo-Gray, and Juvia.

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for all the reviews! There's actually way more than I expected...!<strong>

**If you want you can give me suggestions for the next chapters :)  
><strong>


	18. A Glimmer of Hope?

**Chapter 18: A Glimmer of Hope...?**

"No, no, no, _no!_" Edo-Juvia muttered with a sigh. After half an hour of searching, she'd found nothing. _Nothing!_

There was only one room left to search. Juvia's bedroom.

With another huge sigh, Edo-Juvia dragged herself to the bedroom.

As she pushed open the door, she saw an incredibly tidy bedroom with three pieces of furniture on it: a bed, a couch, and a bedside table. Actually, it took her a few seconds to realize that there was a couch; it was hidden because of the mountain of Gray-sama stuffies piled on top.

Edo-Juvia grinned. It was so typical of Juvia to do that. Looking at the bed, she saw a number of pillows, all with the words _Gray-sama_ stitched into one side, some with fancy, swirling script, others in block letters. The biggest, most fancy pillow of all had ice-blue letters in a fine, beautiful font, reading, _"To Juvia, with love from Gray-sama."_

It was sort of obvious that Juvia had stitched that on, not Gray.

All that brought a smile to Edo-Juvia's face, but the smile was quickly replaced by a thin, straight, grim expression and the realization that she would never see Juvia again if she didn't find any clues in the bedroom.

Raising her eyes, Edo-Juvia expertly scanned the room, from the cluttered bed to the plush carpet, and the window in one wall, even being careful to examine the gold-tinted cloth on the windowsill, perhaps Juvia's, and a shiny plastic nametag on the floor.

The window. The cloth. The carpet. The couch. The nametag...

Grinning widely, Edo-Juvia turned and ran to the kitchen to find Levy.

* * *

><p>Gray and Edo-Gray found themselves in a long, narrow hallway.<p>

"What is this aura...?" Gray whispered. He'd dropped gracefully onto the floor, while Edo-Gray had tumbled out of the window.

Edo-Gray dusted himself off and stood up. Instantly he was struck by the cold aura of the building.

The hallway was dim, lit by small glowing glassy cubes of light spread apart on the walls. The hallway kept on going, a long, skinny, dark walkway until it disappeared into darkness. A slight breeze drifted in through the hole in the window, but that wasn't what was making Edo-Gray and Gray uncomfortable.

The aura. That was it. There was a feeling of wickedness in the air, an unmistakable evil that hovered above the two Grays. It was strong, and Edo-Gray wasn't sure if he was imagining the teasing, snickering laughter that whispered by his ear. He shivered.

"I hear it too," Gray nodded. Edo-Gray noticed that Gray's eyes were dark and narrow. He was being serious about this.

"Y-yeah. It's creepy..." Edo-Gray admitted quietly.

"Right. But now's not the time to chicken out. We've come this far, and we'll keep on going, alright?"

"Okay..."

"Now. This feeling... I'm not sure if you recognize it, since you're not a mage, but it's a really heavy blanket of magic and wickedness. Whoever lives here is a powerful mage, trained to use his powers... well, not for good," Gray analyzed. "Plus, those lights... one of his servants, or even him, must use ice magic." He clenched his fists tighter. "He won't get far past me, I'll promise you."

"Also, I think that his power proves that he _wants _us to get this far," Edo-Gray offered as the thought struck him. "If he's so amazing, he couldn't possibly let us loose so carelessly."

"Good point. We'll have to be doubly careful now. We don't know what his plans are, so we're just gonna have to keep going."

"Keep going? As in, _there_?" Edo-Gray pointed to the far-off darkness where the hallway led.

"Yes, _there_," Gray said. "Where else? It's fine. C'mon."

"Right."

Gray took a deep breath, then headed purposefully down the hallway. Edo-Gray didn't hesitate to follow his friend. He had complete trust in Fullbuster.

The security man glanced from side to side, looking for any sign of disturbance. He sighed and yawned.

He'd been doing this for months, switching shifts on and off, looking for any trouble that was never there in the first place.

Who'd want to mess with the Boss? Besides, no one could come here. It was impossible to find the Boss' HQ, the proud bossy lout had hidden it so well.

Junk pile of a boss, but the security man had to admit that the Boss was a gifted mage. There was no doubt about that. But still, that didn't excuse the Boss from being so pigheaded. The security man wouldn't even be doing this job at all if it wasn't for the money.

That was a good thing, the salary. A job in the HQ payed more than he could earn somewhere else

_Bleep. Bleep._ With a small sigh, the security man reached over his pocket and picked up his magic voice transmitter. "What is it? Isn't it time for my break yet?"

"Nah, orders from the Boss. You gotta stay on longer. Order Five-Oh-One. Two trespassers, both with black hair, one with what looks like a bunch of blankets on him. Escort them roughly to the Boss if you find them. Over and Out."

"Yeah, yeah, got it," the security man grumbled, then sighed. He'd been standing here far too long, doing nothing. When his shift was finally over, it turned out he had to work overtime!

Pissed, the security man sighed. There were so many more parts of the building where the intruders could go. There was about a one in a hundred chance that they'd come to him.

He closed his eyes, about to fall asleep.

He heard a faint _woosh_ as the air behind him moved, but it was too late.

The security man felt something touch the back of his head, no more pain than a sharp poke. He looked down and saw stars.

Then he collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

Gray looked in admiration at Edo-Gray.

"Nice, Surge! Did Juvia teach you that move?"

Edo-Gray stared in awe at the man lying on the floor, then at his own, one, outstretched finger, then back at the man. He looked up. "Yeah. It's a no-pain sort of technique, pretty simple but it's hard to get the right place so I didn't think I'd be able to do it. Usually I hit the wrong spot and instead of knocking them out from the weak point, I get them angry and get myself beat up. But this time, it worked," Edo-Gray said, beaming.

Gray laughed. "Amazing! How does it work?"

"It's all got to do with the nerve system. We, like, pinpoint these certain weak spots in a human's body structure using a finger, like in a taser," Edo-Gray explained.

Gray just stared at him. "Whatever. I have no idea how you did that and I don't even know why I bothered to ask. Guess I'm not really much for bifology and all that..."

"Biology," Edo-Gray corrected. "And it's not all that hard..."

Gray smiled. "Yeah, I think I'll just leave that stuff to you guys. You're the head for this mission, and I'll be most of the power source, fine with you?

"Fine with me. Remember you said _most of_, okay? You learn a lot more when you live in a magic-less universe and have to fend for yourself and go on job requests and stuff back in Edolas. I've got some spy-ish moves up my sleeve, too! ...Well, up my many sleeves..."

Gray snickered. "Come on. Let's keep going."

* * *

><p>Levy gasped. "What...?! Is that... is that what I think it is...?"<p>

The two were standing in Juvia's bedroom. Edo-Juvia had found Levy in the kitchen, cleaning up, looking around, and pouring the melted cheese into the bottle and pocketing the carrots too so that they would at least still have the ingredients.

"Yes." Edo-Juvia nodded solemnly as she held up a tuft of hair and a nametag. "It's not Juvia's." She paused, waiting for Levy to speak.

"No. No, don't tell me..." Levy stared at the ground. "It's... Cutch's nametag, and his hair... the same wispy blonde..."

"Yeah. He probably was working for the kidnappers and when he saw us, he must have reported it to his boss and was told to stalk us. Then Cutch decided to follow Juvia since she was left alone as one person, easier to get..."

"That... that-"

"Leeevyy..." Edo-Juvia warned. "You're too sweet that I would kill you if you said something not Levy-ish."

"..." Levy blushed. "It's just... it's all my fault!"

"I told you to stop saying that, so stop it already, girl," Edo-Juvia said gently but firmly. "C'mon, let's keep thinking. What should our first step be?"

"We-ell," Levy said. "I guess we should go back to the shop where Cutch worked. What was it called again?"

"Bina's Baubles," Edo-Juvia supplied.

"Right."

"...Levy...?" Edo-Juvia said slowly.

"Huh?"

"I need to go to the washroom... where is it again?"

"What? I thought you knew. Here, go down the hallway and turn-"

"No, I'd prefer it if you showed me. I'm sort of depressed, so I wanna take a bath..."

"Uh, sure..." Levy raised an eyebrow but walked out of the room with Edo-Juvia following her.

They entered the bathroom and Levy was about to leave but Edo-Juvia swiftly slammed the door behind her.

"Edo Juvia?! W-what are you doing?" Levy was bright pink.

Edo-Juvia reached over and turned on the water in the sink and the water for the shower and bathtub at full blast.

"What-?!" Levy began.

Edo-Juvia finally turned back to Levy, her eyes locked in a serious mode. "Levy. Think about it. If Juvia was being tailed by Cutch... then wouldn't someone..."

"...be tailing us?!" Levy exclaimed.

"SHH!" Edo-Juvia hissed. "That's why I turned on the water so no one would hear us. So, come on, let's plan in here..."

"Okay." Levy nodded solemnly and the two of them began to plan their next steps.

"'So no one would here us', hm?" the Boss muttered slyly to himself. "Those bakas... they think they can get away by turning on a little water? I'm insulted! Surely I'm more genius than that. They're not the only ones with some magical powers."

He chuckled, and his black hair shifted over his face, shielding his narrowed eyes.

"Welcome to reality, girls."

**Ah, the Boss is my favorite person to write about (I'm crazy for mysterious)... Hope you enjoyed it!**

**Please review! **


	19. The Cats Step In

**Chapter 19: The Cats Step In**

"That's five so far," Edo-Gray announced as Gray knocked out one more security guard.

"Six. Remember that delivery guy who asked us what we were doing and we beat him up?" Gray added.

"Naw, he doesn't count. Poor kid..."

"Kid?! That guy was old enough to be my grandpa!"

"Okay, poor Fullbuster's grandpa..."

"...Oi, let's just keep going," Gray muttered. "Oh, here's some stairs... you wanna go up or keep going?"

"Let's take the stairs. Whoever's manning this place will probably be at the top. Oh, by the way, Fullbuster," Edo-Gray said, laughing. "You sound like Natsu Igneel when you say that!"

"Say what?"

"You know. Oi," Edo-Gray explained.

"Whatever, don't compare me with that flamehead," Gray said, grinning.

"Don't worry. You'll see him again soon enough... if we get out of here," Edo-Gray reminded him.

"_When_ we get out of here. Cheer up. Get a little confidence. We'll get to see our Juvias again soon," Gray assured him, his mouth set in a determined line.

Edo-Gray didn't answer. Instead he kept on walking down the long, dim hallway.

Cutch wiped the counter with a soaked rag. He'd just gotten back from his mission and had handed over the girl to his co-workers. His usually bright, clear blue eyes were now pale blue-gray and solemn.

He'd felt undoubtedly sad at having to deceive such innocent, well-meaning girls. Especially that childish cute one with the light blue hair and orange summer gown.

_Cutch! Don't think about it. You do your job, and you get paid. That's all there is to it. You signed the contract anyway, so you can't possibly go against the Boss._

The bell on the front door of the shop jingled. Cutch looked up.

"How may I help you?" he said pleasantly to the two customers.

They were both girls. One had short, white hair, wearing a white t-shirt and jeans. The other had medium-length blonde hair. She wore a blue and white outfit with a ring of jingling gold and silver keys hanging from her belt.

"Well, for a start..." the white-haired one said sweetly, and flipped a pistol from her jeans pocket faster than Cutch could breath. "...You can raise your hands and step away from the counter."

"Wha...?!"

"Step. Away. From. The. Counter!" the blonde commanded, whisking up her keys. "Open the gate of the Lion! Leo!"

"Eh?!"

"Hurry up, man!" the white-haired one said. "Animal Soul: Tigress!"

Cutch stared, frozen. Before him stood something unbelievable to his eyes.

Standing beside the blonde was a tall, rather good looking male appearing from nowhere with smoke swirling in odd patterns around him. He had orange hair and azure-tinted sunglasses even though the shop was dim (from the looks of the intruder, Cutch suspected the male was only wearing the sunglasses for style.) He donned a smart black outfit and had smirking eyes.

The white haired girl had been oddly changed, her hands becoming large blue paws with sharp, shiny, dagger-looking claws at each finger.

"Hurry up, you filthy kidnapper," the white-haired one said firmly.

"..." Cutch gulped. These people knew he was a kidnapper? He blinked, walked out to the front of the counter, and stared.

"What, cat got your tongue?" the orange-haired gangster-looking guy laughed. He and the white-haired girl with the tiger paw high-fived... or rather, half high-fived and half high-pawed.

"Loke..." the blonde rolled her eyes.

Loke grinned. "You don't look bad today, Lucy."

"Loke! It's not time for that right now, you know!" the blonde-haired one, Lucy, said, half scowling and half blushing.

"Right. Let's get on task," the tigress girl said, grinning.

"Gotcha," Loke turned his attention back to Cutch.

"Hey, watch it. I don't want to hurt you," Cutch said, trying to sound tough.

Quick as a flash, Loke swung on one heel and slashed his foot through the air, colliding with Cutch's face. Cutch was sure he heard a bone crack.

Loke backed up his kick with a punch to Cutch's gut.

"Don't underestimate us, punk," Loke smirked.

Cutch staggered back, clutching the side of his face in pain.

"Who are you, exactly?" Cutch demanded, trying to ignore the trickle of hot blood warming his hand.

"Oh, didn't you know? I'm a combat specialist. Martial arts is my fighting style... along with a buncha other stuff. Don't worry, I've still got some surprises up my sleeve," Loke said with a grin.

Cutch exhaled. _Darnit! Who are these people? _

_...Well, then it's just time to show them what I can do._

Cutch shifted to his feet and glared at the strangers.

"Fine. If you want a fight, I'll fight... Just don't get any merchandise broken, will you?" The Boss would slaughter him if the shop broke down. They'd lose a lot of money if the shop exploded or something, although that didn't really matter because that "lot of money" was only a smidgen compared to the vast horde of wealth the Boss already held. Of course, if the Boss lost every single one of his many decoy shops scattered around Magnolia, that would be a disaster. So even one shop had to be taken good care of.

"It's a good thing Natsu isn't here, or he would definitely break everything in this shop," muttered Lucy to the white-haired part tigress girl. The tigress girl laughed.

_Natsu...? Where have I heard that before?_

_Oh. No. Natsu Igneel, the "Salamander"... These guys must be from the famed Fairy Tail guild! That's the guild that those two prisoners of ours are from. But how did they find out that I was a kidnapper?!_

"Whatever." Cutch shook his head. It was too late to do anything about it. He'd just have to capture these three beings as well. He would have to defeat the two cat people, seeming as the blonde-haired Lucy was basically in control of the Loke lion cat guy. Once he defeated those two, Lucy would be captured, too, so it was basically a two-for-one deal.

"Glass magic: Broken Shards!" Cutch began, sure that his sharp glass would be able to pierce the two "cats", no matter how thick their fur was.

But as Cutch watched his flashing glass shards fly towards the three strangers, he felt a strange nudge of premonition in his gut.

"My turn!" sang the tigress girl cheerfully. "This'll be a cinch."

As the glass pierced the air on its way to the three, the tigress girl raised her paw and simply batted away the glass. Harmless, the glass pieces fell onto the floor, clinked across the tiles and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Tsk," the tigress said with a grin. "Didn't we tell you not to underestimate us?"

Cutch just stared. He felt a single drop of sweat trickling down his forehead. How... was it possible that she could just flick aside the speedy glass in a matter of seconds?! Fairy Tail really was more powerful than he'd thought.

"Okay. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, how about you come with us?" Lucy said, smiling.

Cutch thought it over. Firstly, the Boss was smart. He always found out about betrayals and, when that happened, the traitor was taken care of. Permanently.

And secondly, Cutch was a guy. Guys have egos.

"No way," Cutch said. "I'd rather be buried alive than lose my job."

"Buried alive... I think we can help you with that. Lucy?" the tigress girl said, grinning wickedly.

"Got it," Lucy said. "Open the gate of the Virgin! Virgo!"

Suddenly Cutch felt uncertain. Whoever this virgin-virgo person was, he didn't think he wanted to meet her.

"...and here she is, Master Yori."

Yori watched as the Head of Abduction Affairs in the Business, a stiff, formal mage with an army man's brain, gestured toward a rough cloth sack. His two lackeys turned and untied the bag, gently lifting out a female body.

She was alive but unconscious, with medium-length dark blue hair and a slender figure.

Yori didn't care much for romance, but he was a pretty compassionate guy and always silently wished that the Business didn't include abductions.

Still, he needed a job, and even though he was so young, Yori was a kid genius. Or at least, a genius for a kid.

He'd rose steadily through the levels of the Business until one day, he was summoned to this very building - the HQ of the Business - and promoted to Right-Hand Man for the Boss. Except since he was still a minor, and his boss was _the Boss_, Yori was more like Right-Hand Manservant in charge of practically everything.

"You know, we didn't really have to abduct so many people..." Yori said.

"Yes, sir, we know that, sir. But the Boss said to abduct any people who would be potentially dangerous to our plan. It's been reported that this girl, along with two others, are on our trail and may uncover the plan."

The plan. The Boss's monstrous idea, the one that only Yori knew the full plot of. Of course, the Boss was an imaginative and wild being, and was prone to changing and adding stuff to his plots without warning. The female's abduction and the forceful importing of the two prisoners that was still going on right now were two examples of that.

Yori shuddered. The Boss was insane. Smart, yes, and clever and evil, but also insane. Everything the Boss did was either one of two things: for fun or for himself. Which was basically the same thing.

"Bring her to the same hut that the two prisoners were held in earlier. Post two guards in front; that should be enough for her. She looks weak," Yori said quietly.

"Yes, sir," the Head of Abduction Affairs said gruffly. He snapped his fingers and his lackeys carried her out of the room.

"Anything else, sir?"

"..." Yori thought. "Nope. You can go."

"Yes, sir." The Head walked out of the room.

Yori watched him leave. So stiff and formal, real military. Like a lot of the other workers in the Business, he was a guy who would do whatever the Boss told him to, even walk straight off a cliff if he had to.

Yori wondered if he would become like that in the future. A cold chill snaked up his spine. He hoped not.


	20. The Titania and the Demon

**Chapter 20: The Titania and the Demon**

It was only two and a half hours from the time that Edo-Juvia was going to meet the "King of the Cobras". At least, it would have been both Juvias, but, Edo-Juvia remembered solemnly, Earth Juvia was also kidnapped.

_What kind of nasty people would write stuff about cutting off our dear Grays's fingers?_ Edo-Juvia thought, fear gripping her heart. _And they've got Juvia, too..._

_I shouldn't worry about it. She'll be alright, we'll find them and beat them up to a pulp and rescue her and Gray and Gray!_

Levy was walking towards her, face beaming.

"Lucy and Lisanna volunteered to catch Cutch. They're on their way now," she said, smiling.

"That's good news," Edo-Juvia said softly, Edo-Gray's faint memory lingering in her mind for a moment longer. Then she shook her head and returned to reality. She felt stronger after thinking through her "beat them to a pulp" plan.

"Okay. So the plan is this: Lisanna and Lucy catch Cutch and, using any way that they want, persuade Cutch to spill the beans about the whole "Cobras" thing. Then, if he still insists on keeping this stuff a secret, they'll bring him here so that Erza and Mira can interrogate him."

"And what if he does spill the beans?"

"Then we bring him here anyway to make sure he's telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth."

"...You sound like a lawyer or a judge, you know."

The blunette shrugged. "Anyway, I'm pretty sure that they'll be able to convince him to tell us everything we need to know, or at least give us some good info about this Cobra society thing," Levy said cheerfully. "Natsu wanted to come too, but I wasn't sure if that was a good idea. We don't want him setting fire to the shop and making the whole town know about this. The Council will probably give us a big fine or some kind of bad news."

"The Council?"

"You don't want to know."

"Okay..."

"Levy! Edo-Juvia! We're back!" hollered a loud but sweet voice.

"Lisanna and Lucy!" Edo-Juvia hopped to her feet.

"Where's Cutch?" Levy asked.

Just then, they heard a scolding female voice outside in the courtyard. "...and I'd better not see you trying to run away again, or I'll make sure that I catch you and bury you underground for a while, alright? The Princess wants you here and so you'll stay here!"

"Virgo," Lucy explained. "She's keeping Cutch on a tight leash."

"And Lucy means literally," added Lisanna, grinning.

Virgo marched in, holding a strong leather leash with one hand. At the other end of the leash was a large metal ring, which was clasped around Cutch's neck.

"Also, Cutch's hands are covered in a sort of glove made of hardened dirt - thanks to Virgo, of course - so that he can't cut the leather leash with his glass magic," Lisanna informed her friends.

"Okay. Erza and Mira are waiting in the back room," Levy said.

"Levy, help me! I won't tell anyone anything, I promise. Just persuade them to let me go," Cutch pleaded, fearful that the Boss would find out about his forced betrayal.

Levy turned and stared at Cutch, hurt and anger burning in her eyes. "Your promises don't mean anything, Cutch. You're a liar. You've tricked me and my friends into thinking you were nice, and then you try to blow it up in our face. Well, I've got news for you: What you did is going to blow up in _your_ face. And two of my friends, a certain mage you might have heard of by the name of Titania and a wonderfully wicked demon, are going to make sure you suffer to the max."

She turned and walked back to where Edo-Juvia was sitting.

Cutch stared after her, eyes wide. _Did she just say that? Did that sweet-looking girl just tell me to buzz off?! I thought for sure that I'd be able to persuade a gentle-looking girl like her to let me go free... but there was definitely iron behind her words. Ugh! How am I going to get out of this?_ he thought with disbelief.

"_We can still be friends, okay?"_

"_Okay?"_

Levy's words from their first meeting rang in his mind.

_Aghh, shut it, head!_ Cutch thought, rapping his own head.

"What, are you mental or something? Just follow us," a blue-haired girl said, gesturing. Cutch recognized her - she was one of the girls who was with Levy that first time. Juzia or Javi or something like that.

"Edo-Juvia," supplied the girl.

"Oh. Right. Wait, how did you know...?"

Edo-Juvia winked. "I've picked up quite a few things in my missions from my home world, and I can sorta tell when someone is confused."

Cutch did not like her wink. Also, he wondered what she meant by "home world". What was she, an alien that looked like a human?

"Creep," Cutch muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Whatever. Now hurry up," Edo-Juvia said.

"Yeah, yeah," Cutch said, sighing.

Cutch was led through the guild into a back room.

The room was not fancy. There was a table in the middle and a large lamp in one corner. The ceiling was criss-crossed with wooden planks.

The door slammed behind him. Cutch realized with some relief that his kidnappers had left him in the room by himself.

Or so he thought.

"Hmm..." Cutch turned and stared up a wall. There was one cracked window high on the wall. If he pushed the table towards it, he just might be able to jump up and escape through the window.

Cutch got up and began to push the table across the wooden floor. Finally the table hit the wall with a small _bonk_ sound and Cutch leaped onto its surface.

"Okay. One, two, three-_Jump!"_ He jumped.

As he jumped, the tip of a sword swung down from the wooden planks above him and jabbed through the back of his shirt. "You know, if you wanted to go into the back gardens, you could just ask," a sarcastic-sounding female voice said.

Cutch winced. So now he was hanging by his shirt, some weird stranger who was sitting on top of the ceiling planks holding onto his shirt using a sword. A few meters down was the table.

"Uh... The back gardens?"

A teenage girl stepped out from a corner of the room. "Yes. They're really pretty," said a second female voice, sounding much sweeter than the first. "You want to see them? We can have your interrogation there."

"No thank you. Who are you?"

"Guests first."

"Uh... Cutch Damon," Cutch said slowly.

"That's a nice name. I'm Mira Jane Strauss," said the figure in the shadows.

"And I'm Erza Scarlet," said the voice above him. "Sorry for holding you up like this. I'll let you fall." The sword swiftly sliced sideways through Cutch's shirt and Cutch fell through his shirt down onto the table with a loud _blam!_

_Great,_ thought Cutch. _Now I'm shirtless._

"Sorry, Erza is the Bad Cop. I'm the Good Cop, so here's a shirt," sang the pretty voice from the shadows.

"That's not exactly how Good Cop/Bad Cop works, you know," Cutch said hesitantly. _Were these really the great Titania and the famed Demon? Or were these random dumb girls who were pretending to be those famous S-class mages?_

"Does it matter? I'm a Bad Cop and she's a Good Cop so that's all we need. Plus you, the evil kidnapper guy. Basically, you really dumb kidnapper," Erza said. "It's our job to ask you a few questions. Ready?"

"Uh... no one can hear us, right?" Cutch said nervously.

"Nope."

Cutch nodded. "Okay. I'm ready." He pulled on the shirt and sat down on a chair.

"What's your part of the Business? You know, that stuff you were telling Lucy and Lisanna earlier," Erza said.

"Well, I'm only a small member of the Business..."

"Yeah, so what do you do?"

"I basically just take care of the shop like a normal worker. But when the managers tell me to keep my eye out for certain people or interesting news, or to go do a job like kidnapping someone or stealing something, then I do it," Cutch explained. "Are you sure no one can hear us?"

"I'm sure. So what about the leaders? What do they do?"

"Uh, not sure exactly. But they order around a lot of workers like me. The Business employs people like me all over the place and pay them a little extra money every month. It's not like you can get rich, but it's extra money so you can live a little easier, so we agree to it, you know?"

"What are the job levels in the Business?"

"Well, as far as I know, in my category, there's me. I'm just a plain old worker who does random odd jobs. A lot of other people do, too, so we're on the same level. We're called _extras_. Then there's the main _staff_. They do the more important jobs and help decide how to do stuff. Then the staff get their orders from this guy called the _head_, who basically is the chief of all the staff. And then there's the... Well, that's about it."

"And then there's the what?" Erza questioned.

"Nothing," Cutch said, trying to sound innocent.

"I hate to have to do this, but Cutch... I really don't think it's wise to lie. Okay?" Mira said cheerfully, a dark aura suddenly filling the room.

"N-no, I'm not lying, seriously, you guys are taking this way too seriously-"

_Swoosh._ Air moved in front of him, and suddenly a figure with gorgeous scarlet-red hair dropped almost soundlessly to the floor. Before he could move, Cutch felt cold steel pressing against his throat. "I think you should get a little more serious. This isn't a game," said Erza in a low voice.

_This isn't a game_. Cutch gulped. The Titania was really fast! He hadn't even heard her move, she was so swift. So this was the Titania.

"Oh, Erza, don't be so hard on him. He's just a little nervous," said Mira gently.

"Nervous? Our guild members are kidnapped, and you say to be easy on the kidnapper?!" shouted Erza angrily. The cold steel pressed harder on Cutch's neck.

_Oh, gods. The Titania's angry. What do I do if she tries to cut my throat? _Cutch thought, panicking. Cutch had heard rumours that whoever tried to go against her wouldn't be able to get out of bed for a month after that.

"You baka. I should kill you right now," Erza hissed at Cutch, her dark eyes narrowing. Cutch felt a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead. Erza's eyes seemed to drill right through his skull.

"By the way Cutch, I think you should answer the question. If you don't, Erza will probably kill you, and I can't really do anything since I'm too far away," said Mira, shrugging, although Cutch couldn't see her shoulders moving since she was still in the shadows.

"A-alright..." Cutch took a deep breath. "The _head_ is led by this guy, the Right-Hand Man. He's the only one who gets to see the Boss. And the Boss is at the top."

"The only one, huh?" muttered Erza, glancing at Mira. Mira nodded.

"What kind of person is the Right-Hand Man?" Mira asked.

"...Well. He's really tough and everyone obeys him. He's this really old and cranky." Actually Cutch had no idea. That's just how he thought of the Right-Hand Man, but he didn't tell the two girls just in case they'd beat him up or something.

"What about the Boss?"

"W-well, you see, if I tell you then he'll-"

"Cutch, I really really think you should listen to Erza. Okay?" Mira said, her voice sounding cheerful.

"Um... Right. The Boss. Well no one knows anything big about the Boss except the Right-Hand Man. We do know that the Boss is really strict and sorta, uh, wild, but no one likes spreading rumours about him in case we-we're caught." Cutch gulped. He was not liking where this interrogation was going.

"Anything you can tell us about the Plan would be very much appreciated," added the sweet voice of Mira.

"Well, I-" Cutch began, but suddenly there was a burst of purple smoke, a purple flower of smoke blossoming from Cutch's chest spreading out and filling the entire room.

"What the-!" Erza hissed, and swiftly protected herself with a large, magical shield. Mira just stood in the shadows.

"It's just purple smoke," Mira explained knowingly. Erza nodded grimly.

"Still, Cutch could try to attack under the cover of the purple smoke," Erza said, but as soon as the smoke cleared the two girls looked at the chair that Cutch was sitting on.

Except that he wasn't there anymore. Cutch had disappeared.

* * *

><p>"Um... ahem... Boss, please don't kill me for saying this, but CAN YOU PLEASE STOP LAUGHING?!" Yori yelled, glaring at the Boss. Ever since the Boss had overheard Cutch talking to the Fairies (using his telepathic powers), he hadn't stopped laughing.<p>

The Boss chuckled and grinned. "Sorry, Yori," he snickered, "It's just sooo funny. I mean, was thinking of firing that Cutch, but man, it'd be a shame to fire a guy with that sense of humour. Did you hear him? You're like, the totally non-toughest guy I know!"

"..." Yori sighed as the Boss burst into a fresh round of giggles. He was a real bully, that Boss. Childish, too.

The Boss finally stopped laughing, but a smile still adorned his handsome face. "Anyway, back to business. What did you want to say?"

Yori nodded. "We've taken another hostage. Her name is Juvia Lockser and we've placed her in the Hostage Hut that the two black-haired guys escaped from."

"Hm..." The Boss thought for a moment. "You know, I've been wondering this for a while, but I think you might really be an idiot, Yori."

"W-what?! Hey!"

The Boss grinned. "Seriously, that Hostage Hut is already useless, you know - those kicked down the door and everything. That Lockser girl will just escape, ya idiot. Move her to the cellar - there's no way they'd be able to escape from there. When you get the two guys, bring them there, too. Oh, and there's a fourth girl, right? Kidnap her too."

"Right." Yori nodded, making a mental note. He started to turn and leave.

"Wait."

Yori paused and turned. "Yes...?"

The Boss grinned. "Assemble the Team. It's about time we had a little fun..."


	21. The Second Letter

**Chapter 21: The Second Letter**

"Stop here. I sense danger," whispered Edo-Gray.

Gray nodded. He trusted Edo-Gray's judgement, and they paused.

"C'mon." The two ducked into a shadowy corner, not a moment too soon.

Footsteps rang down the hallway, and the two Grays spied the shape of a young adult male walking closer to them with every step.

Just as he reached where they were hiding, he stopped and looked around.

_Keep looking._

"Hmm..." the male said.

_Come on, keep on looking!_

The male turned from one side to the other, then stared straight into the corner that Gray and Edo-Gray were hiding in.

"Come out, hostages," barked the male. He had dirty yellow hair and a permanent scowl. "I've got orders to take you back to your hut."

"Hut? Sorry, but I don't really like that place," Edo-Gray said, looking for a way to stall time before they attacked.

Gray whispered quietly so the man couldn't hear, "Ice Make: Club!"

"Well, I don't really like you. Now are you going to follow me the hard way or the easy way?" the man said threateningly.

Edo-Gray pretended to think for a moment. "The hard way," Edo-Gray said, nodding at Gray.

Gray swung the ice club over his head with one liquid movement and struck the man on the gut. The man immediately collapsed on the ground with a loud _thud_.

"Hurry! They'll find out we're here soon," Gray said.

Edo-Gray nodded, and they swiftly moved past the unconscious man and ran down the hallway.

* * *

><p>Erza frowned, her eyes darkening. She slowly approached the chair again.<p>

"Careful. This could be some kind of invisibility trick, " Mira said. Erza nodded.

Erza held her shield in front of her and her sword was outstretched as well. She swept her sword out over the chair. "Nope. If he's actually invisible, he's not on the chair."

Suddenly there was a loud crash from the guild main hall.

Erza nodded at Mira and the two cautiously approached the door. They whipped it open and stared through the door.

The whole guild main hall was untouched, except for some bar stools that had fallen over, but for some reason everyone had fallen asleep. A few wisps of purple smoke lingered in the air.

"It's nothing serious, just some sort of sleeping thing. They should be OK," Erza confirmed after checking a few nearby people.

"Quick! Where's Levy and Edo-Juvia?" Mira said urgently.

Erza's eyes widened, and instantly her soldier's mind forced her to action. She rumbled through the snoozing guild members, searching frantically for the two girls.

"I found Levy! She's sleeping." Erza shook Levy awake.

"Umm... E-Erza?" Levy said, yawning.

"Yes. Are you alright? Do you know what happened?"

"Happened? Unn... nope. Hey, where's Gajeel? I wanna tell him something!" Levy giggled.

"Levy, what are you talking about?" Erza said, raising an eyebrow.

"That's between me and Gajeel!" sang Levy.

"R-right. Do you know where Edo-Juvia is?"

Levy frowned. "Hm... nah, I dunno. Can you pass me that jar please?" She pointed to a jar on the counter.

"Jar...?" Erza took the jar and sniffed. "Sake! Why would you want to drink sake, Levy?"

"Who says I can't?" Levy pouted.

"Nevermind." Erza turned and ran back to Mira, and who cared if she stepped on someone by accident? There wasn't time to worry about a little sore guts in a time like this.

"Aw, Erza, get back here and gimme the sake!" Levy called after her.

Erza ignored her. "Mira, I just woke Levy up and she's going insane, asking for sake and _giggling_ and she didn't even seem worried at all when she said she didn't know where Edo-Juvia was. She didn't even know she had been sleeping!"

Mira turned pale. "Hurry, check someone else."

Erza woke up Lucy, and Mira woke Elfman up.

"Lucy!" Erza demanded. "Do you want sake?"

"Wha-? Sake... sure! Hey, have you seen Natsu?" Lucy asked, her cheeks bright red and her eyes wild.

"Oh, hi, Mira-nee," Elfman said, then blushed. "Uh.. do you think you could help me confess to someone...?"

Mira growled. "That no-good-conniving-Cutch!"

"What? I don't want to confess to that blonde boy!" Elfman exclaimed.

"Who, Cutch? Oh, that guy... speaking of guys, where is Natsu?" Lucy repeated.

"There's no time for that!" Erza said. "Where's Edo-Juvia?!"

"Umm... now that I think of it, we were talking a moment ago. She was right beside me," Levy offered, patting the seat next to her.

"Agh, no! This can't be possible! Cutch is gone, Edo-Juvia has disappeared as well, and as a bonus the entire guild has fallen under some kind of sleepy-love-sick, wild sake-loving spell?!" Erza shrieked. _Nakama... four gone in less than a day. And I haven't been able to do anything about it. We even lost Cutch!_ Erza sank to her knees.

"We can't give up, Erza. We'll get them back, whatever it takes. Gray, Edo-Gray, and both Juvias," said a voice in the entranceway of the guild. A slightly childish but totally determined voice.

"Natsu!" Lucy sang, stumbling towards him. "I missed you..."

"EH? Uh, sure, Lushy."

"It's Lucy. _LUCY!_" shouted Lucy, wrapping her arms around Natsu's legs.

"Yeah, yeah, uh, okay."

"Natsu? You're not affected?" Erza said.

"No, we were just out walking around and came back to find the whole guild like this," explained Happy.

"Oh... and we found this note," added Laxus, striding in. He flicked an envelope into the air and caught it. "It's really odd, talking about how the Cobras or whoever have changed their plan and are going to set the Grays and the Juvias free if four mages from Fairy Tail come and fight a team from the Cobras."

"What?"

"See for yourself," Laxus shrugged and tossed the envelope into Erza's hands. She and Mira crowded over the envelope and opened it.

_Dear Fairy Tail,_

_I'm sure you're having fun playing our little activity together. We certainly are. I don't know how our four hostages feel, though. That's right - four. By now you have probably realized that we've kidnapped Juvia from Edolas, unless you're dumber than I thought, which would be surprising because you could hardly get more dumb. So anyway, just to clarify, we have kidnapped Gray and Juvia from Magnolia and Gray and Juvia from Edolas. And you kidnapped one of my lesser lackeys, but he doesn't really matter to me. Cutch, was it? That one is a simple-minded maggot and I really don't know why I hired him. Of course, blunt as he is, I'm surprised you weren't able to keep him. _

_Don't shout mental insults at me, alright? I know I'm wonderful and you're not, and I'm powerful and amazing and you're not, and I've got four hostages and you've got none, but those aren't any reasons to get angry. _

_So calm down. I know you're stressed, and certain people might be tempted to burn this letter before reading the rest. Please don't. I'm convinced you'll want to read on._

_I've arranged a small affair for us that I'm positive you'll enjoy, or at least I'll enjoy._

_Why don't we have a contest? Four mages from Fairy Tail against a team from the Cobras. If you win, you get the Grays and the Juvias. If the Cobras win, we keep our hostages - and the team of four from Fairy Tail._

_Do you know a shop called _Bina's Baubles_? Go there at 4:30 pm and tell the person at the counter that the Boss sent you, and show her this envelope. She will give you further instructions._

_By the way, don't think about declining. It's not an option, unless you want to lose your precious nakama._

_Sincerely,_

_The King of the Cobras_

"That baka!" hissed Erza.

"Yeah, yeah," Laxus said. "Can I go now? I just wasted two precious minutes of my life watching you guys read a letter that rambles on about how idiotic certain fire-magic people are for half of it and finally gets to the point at the end. Who rambles off like that?"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING IDIOTIC?!" Natsu shouted.

"Natsu..."

"...Y-yes, Mira..."

"Fine," Erza sighed. "If he wants entertainment, we'll give it to him. I'm going."

"Alright, I'm going too," Mira said determinedly.

"I'm all fired up!" exclaimed Natsu, grinning like a maniac.

The three of them stared at Laxus, since he was the only other person who wasn't snoring in the guild right now.

"...Fine, I guess I'll go," Laxus said, sighing. "Maybe I'll get to pound in the face of that King of the Cobras guy. He really knows how to stretch a million words out of one simple sentence. Couldn't he just say, '_Go to Bina's Baubles with only four people if you want to save your friends and then I'll give you more instructions later_' or something? Birdbrain."

"Alright then, let's go. It's almost 4:30," Erza said.

"Aw, Natsu, you're leaving?" Lucy whined.

"Yeah, don't get so emotional, Lushy-Uh, I mean, Lucy. Here, I'll buy you something when we get back, okay?" Natsu said, unused to having Lucy fawn over him.

"Don't worry. It's just a spell that makes each person confess their love like crazy and want to drink sake for some reason, and it shouldn't last too long," Levy explained.

"What? Levy? You're back to normal?" Erza asked.

"Yeah..." Levy blushed. "I'm so glad Gajeel wasn't awake. It seems that this kind of spell only lasts for about two minutes after you wake up, so I'm OK. Lucy should be fine in another minute or so."

"That's a relief," Natsu muttered.

"Huh? Why am I holding on to Natsu?!" shrieked Lucy suddenly, stumbling backwards. Then she realized. "Oh. Oh gosh, no, I didn't say that!"

"It's okay, Lush," Natsu said, smiling.

"N-Natsu..." Lucy blushed, then recovered. "I'm Lucy, not Lushy!" she scowled, hiding her feelings.

Natsu laughed. "Whatever, Lush." Secretly he was pleased that Lucy's 'love' was himself, but he didn't say that aloud.

"Y-yeah," Lucy said. "You guys should go."

"No! I couldn't have done that," groaned Elfman as he recovered from the spell. "Thank goodness I didn't say her name."

"Don't worry, it's obvious enough anyway that you don't have to tell us," winked Mira.

"Mira-nee?!" Elfman blushed.

"Just joking, although I have a hunch who it is. Come on, let's go," Mira said.

"Right." Laxus turned, then paused and looked at Elfman. "Elf. Be a man, like you claim you are. You'll never know if she'll return your feelings unless you tell her, right?"

"Wha..." Elfman blinked, then nodded determinedly. "Alright, Laxus, I'll wake her up and tell her."

"Good man," Laxus said, then turned and walked away.

"Hey, wait up!" yelled Natsu, running after him.

"Tch, boys," Erza muttered. "Absolute idiots, I have no idea what they're talking about."

"You can say that again," agreed Mira softly. "Although I think some of our guild's boys are turning out to be fine men." She glanced over her shoulder at her brother, who was walking towards Evergreen.

"Come on. You can weep over your little brother the man once we rescue our friends," Erza said, moving forward.

"Right. Our nakama," Mira said, smiling and joining Erza out of the guild.

_Our nakama._

Erza clenched her fists and walked faster.


	22. The Rules of the Game

**Chapter 22: The Rules of the Game**

Gray and Edo-Gray rushed through the hallways, careful not to bump into any passersby.

"We're almost at the top level," Edo-Gray panted.

"Right. Up these stairs, and then we can find whoever's leading all this," Gray said.

They turned and climbed the stairs.

Suddenly they found themselves in an exquisite hallway, a dark red carpet lining the centre of the hallway. There was a door to their right which had a fancy handle, and the door itself was made of silver-plated wood. Farther down the hallway was a double-door, with two lion-headed knockers on both doors. The door itself was covered in gold leaf.

"Fancy. And it's brighter in here too," Gray remarked.

"Not a good thing. There's not as much space to hide," Edo-Gray said.

"What now?" Gray asked.

"Double doors," decided Edo-Gray ."The most important guy is probably going to be in there."

Gray nodded. "Just what I was thinking."

The two of them crept over to the double doors, then slowly creaked them open. They peered inside.

"Did you just poke me?" Gray whispered.

"No, I don't poke people," Edo-Gray whispered back.

"That's not a poke, it's a tap," whispered a voice behind them.

Gray and Edo-Gray startled and whisked around.

"Hi!" said a white-haired boy cheerfully, then swiftly brought two soaked rags up to Gray and Edo-Gray's faces.

The two Fairy Tail mages felt suddenly drowsy as they breathed in the smell from the soaking rags.

Gray managed to catch a glimpse Edo-Gray falling to the floor, and a second later Gray slipped into a heavy, dreamless sleep, and collapsed on the tiles beside his friend.

"Sorry, guys," whispered Yori.

* * *

><p><em>SLAM!<em> The front door to _Bina's Baubles _smashed open with such force that the hinges broke and Natsu was left with a single door falling onto his shoes.

"Aiii, that hurts! Darn door!" Natsu yelled.

"It's your fault for slamming it," Laxus muttered.

Erza brushed past both of them and pushed her way into the store. "Where's that female person at the counter? Hurry, it's already 4:30!"

"Right. Come on," Laxus said, and moved forward.

"Oi, it's so dim in here," Natsu said, and conjured a flame in his hand.

"Get rid of that before you set fire to the shop!" Mira scolded.

Natsu sighed. "Can't I have a little fun?"

"You can have your fun once we rescue our friends," Mira replied. "Hurry and catch up to Erza and Laxus before you set fire to something-Hey! Don't burn the door!"

"But what else can I do with it?"

"Just leave it there," Mira said. "Hurry up."

Natsu sighed and followed Mira into the shop.

Erza was already approaching the counter, where a figure with a baseball cap perched backwards on top of short, wispy blonde hair stood mopping the floor. The counter person's back was facing the Fairy Tail mages.

"Excuse me," Erza said politely. "The Boss sent us. Please accept this envelope."

She held the envelope forward, and the counter person turned.

"YOU!" exclaimed Cutch.

"What are you doing here, you no-good conniving kidnapper?!" hissed Erza.

Cutch bolted for the door, dropping the mop.

Unfortunately for him, he bumped into Natsu, who was "all fired up".

"Alriiiight!" Natsu whooped, holding Cutch up by the collar of his shirt with one hand. Natsu's other hand whipped up a large growing flame.

"Natsu! Put the poor man down immediately!" Mira demanded.

"But-"

"One..."

"Aw, Mira, c'mon-"

"Two..."

With a sigh, Natsu released the shuddering Cutch, who hastily took back his position behind the counter.

"Alright, Cutch, we'll refrain from torturing you to death, alright? But be warned that if you try to escape again, we won't stop Natsu that time," Erza warned.

"R-right. Got it," Cutch said.

"Now, the Boss sent us here, whoever he is. He also told us to give this envelope to a female lady at the counter," Erza explained. She glanced toward her teammates to make sure they were in their correct positions.

Laxus was off to one side, pretending to be looking through some items in the shop. He was actually looking out for danger in case this was a trap.

Mira was stopping Natsu from going into an all-out brawl again.

And Erza was dealing with Cutch and all the envelope stuff.

"Do you know who the girl at the counter is?" Erza asked.

"That..." Cutch cleared his throat. "That would be me, Miss Titania."

Erza raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were a guy."

"I _am_ a guy!"

"But you just said you were the person at the counter!"

"I _am_ the person at the-" Cutch took a deep breath. "You know, my Boss has a wacked sense of humour, okay? I was given orders to be here right now, so for all I know he's calling me a girl. Happy now?" Cutch muttered, trying to swallow his pride. _That monstrous Boss._

Natsu burst out into laughter. "First he says you're a simple-minded idiot, then he calls you a _girl_? I can't wait to meet the Boss!" He erupted into another burst of laughter.

"Could you please tell your unappreciative friend to cut it out?" Cutch said weakly.

"At least he's not trying to set fire to the shop anymore, so I'm fine with it," Mira said innocently.

"..."

"Enough! Give us our instructions, kidnapper," Erza demanded, handing over the envelope.

Cutch took the envelope. "Right, then," he said, glad that the humiliation was over (even though Natsu was still laughing hysterically nearby). "Follow me." He turned away and started walking to a corner of the shop.

No one else moved.

Cutch stopped and sighed. "This isn't a trap, okay? Trust me."

No one bothered pointing out that they couldn't really trust a kidnapper. Finally Erza shrugged.

"Might as well. If it does turn out to be a trap, we can always beat 'em up as a _thank you present_ for the King of the Cobras," Erza said evenly.

"Make sure you don't forget to beat up Cutch too," Mira put in.

Cutch felt a cold shiver worm up his spine. Why did he have to have this job? Once with was all over - _if_ it ever was over - Cutch promised he'd change his name and move to a different country where no one would know him.

"Fine with me!" Natsu said, grinning.

"Natsu, I'll bet you want it to be a trap, right?" Laxus said.

"Welll, now that you mention it..."

"Nevermind, don't answer that."

The four followed Cutch toward a corner of the shop. In the corner were two doors.

The four stared at Cutch.

"Cutch... you know these are the washrooms, right?" Mira said slowly, glancing from one door to the next. One door had a sign that read "Female" and the other had a sign that said "Male".

"Just trust me," sighed Cutch, and he pushed open the door to the female washroom.

Erza and Mira shrugged and walked in, but Laxus and Natsu hung back.

"Are you kidding? I'm not going in there," Laxus said in disbelief.

"Come on, it doesn't matter, just get in!" Mira said. "It's not like female washrooms can bite you."

"Are you sure?" muttered Natsu.

"Just. Get. In!" Erza commanded, towering over the two boys.

"No. Way!" countered Natsu.

"Way," decided Laxus, who was smarter than Natsu.

Laxus, Cutch, and Mira walked into the girl's washroom while Erza stayed back for a few minutes.

Cutch winced as he heard yelps, shouts, and slaps from the other side of the door.

"All done!" said Erza cheerfully, walking in as if she'd just given candy to a toddler instead of beat up a teenager.

Cutch turned, and as Natsu stumbled in, clutching his stomach, he quickly turned again and faced forward.

"Now, let's get on with it, shall we?" said Mira, completely indifferent to what had just happened.

_S-scary! _thought Cutch, staring at the two S-class mages.

"Don't forget," Laxus said in a low voice, leaning toward Cutch ominously. "I'm an S-class mage, so don't put me on the same level as that idiot." He jerked his thumb towards Natsu.

"Hey!" Natsu called.

"R-right. I won't," Cutch said miserably. _Why am I stuck with three creepy S-mages and one ambitious flame-head?! I'll probably be killed by them, if I'm not killed by the Boss first._ He shuddered.

"Anyway, so, where are you taking us?"

"Here." Cutch turned and pointed. "There are five stalls. I'll stand in the first stall, and you guys each stand in one of the other stalls."

The Fairy Tail mages obeyed.

"Now close your doors."

For the next few moments the washroom was filled with the sounds of five slamming doors.

"Okay. My stall is the only one with a clothes hook on the door. I'm going to turn it around five times, and then we'll be transported to... where we're supposed to go. Got it? Everyone ready?"

Four people nodded, then realized Cutch couldn't see them.

"Yes," Mira, Erza, Laxus and Natsu said.

"Aye!" called another voice.

"Happy?!" Natsu exclaimed.

Happy flew over the door of Natsu's stall. "Natsu! I followed you four here, and when I couldn't find you, I suddenly heard you in the washroom and I came in," he explained.

"Yeah! Extra Exceed power!" Natsu said, grinning.

"...Whatever," Cutch said. "I'm going to start now. One turn... two turns... three... four... _five!"_

Suddenly five glowing circles of light rose from the floor of each stall and covered each of the Fairy Tail mages. Happy had just enough time to land on Natsu's head before they were lifted up in the air. The washroom swirled around them until it disappeared in the blinding magic light.

All five people, and one Exceed, shut their eyes tight to block out the bright light.

Suddenly the light vanished abruptly and the mages and Exceed tumbled to the ground.

They blinked and looked around.

"What...where is this place?" whispered Mira.

They found themselves in a deathly quiet dojo. It was very spacey, with a lot of room to move around.

Natsu and Happy immediately busied themselves in checking out the various

"Natsu," Happy whispered to Natsu so no one else could hear. "Do you like Lucy?"

"EH? Lu... cy...? Well, I-she-" Natsu blinked.

"Nevermind, you don't have to answer that," Happy said, secretly smiling. _He liiiiiikes her! _he thought, and laughed.

"Is something wrong?" Laxus asked, quickly positioning himself in a defensive/offensive stance. His eyes scanned the room warily.

"No, nothing. I just found a cell phone," Erza explained. She picked up the silver phone and opened it. She held it to her ear to listen just in case.

Which turned out to be a good move.

"Hello, Titania," greeted a voice. The voice, although scrambled so that no one could tell who the speaker was, overflowed with malicious intent. The sound brought shivers to Erza.

"Why don't you put me on speaker? I'd like to talk to you."

"Who are you?" Erza shouted angrily.

"I'm sure you know. Now are you going to put me on speaker or not?" the voice said, sounding perfectly calm. "I don't have all day, you know."

"Right," Erza muttered, and slapped the "speaker" button.

"Good afternoon," said the voice, sounding like whoever it was didn't mean it at all. The sound echoed across the room ominously.

"Same to you," answered Mira, her pleasant voice just as fake.

"Give us our nakama!" yelled Natsu, getting up and snatching the phone from Erza. For once Erza made no move to stop him.

"All in good time. You'll see them soon. What I really want to talk about it our game. Soon four escorts will come to your room. Follow them, and please don't resist. They will bring you to the Arena, where the Fairy Tail team of four will fight with the Cobra's team. You have ten minutes to get ready, and then the escorts will arrive. Use those ten minutes wisely. It's all you'll get, but I'm sure that won't change the final outcome of the battle. All the same, good luck! You'll need it."

The person on the other end hung up before Natsu could retort, and Natsu was left with a monotonous buzzing on the other end.

"Darnit! After we defeat their team, I'll smash that guy's head in for sure!" Natsu vowed.

"Hush. We need to get ready. Warm up," Erza said, and Natsu stared as a sword materialized in each of her hands. She sliced the air in front of her with lightning speed, and Natsu swore he could see empty spaces for a few seconds after the sword had passed through the air. That fast.

Speaking of lightning, Natsu suddenly felt a hot, burning, electric shock jab into his spine.

"Gotcha," muttered Laxus, grinning.

"Oh, yeah? I'm all fired up!" roared Natsu, suddenly engulfed in flames from head to toe. "Eat _this_!" He thrust a fireball into Laxus' face.

"Maggot." Laxus threw a solid punch at Natsu, hitting him square on the jaw.

"Don't call me a-"

"Boys. Shut. up. We're supposed to be warming up, not punching the daylights out of our own teammates," Mira scolded.

"He started it!" Natsu replied

"I wouldn't have done that if you weren't such an idiot," retorted Laxus.

"You're both idiots," Mira sighed.

Just then the door opened and a man with a steel mask over his head walked in. Three similarly dressed men stood behind him.

"Follow us," the man said.

"Escorts?" Erza said.

"Yep, by the looks of them," Mira said.

The four Fairy Tail mages followed the escorts away.

They emerged in a bright, grassy field, about the size of a football field. The walls were high.

From speakers that were perched high up above the walls called a female's voice, speaking through an intercom system.

"See these walls?" the voice said. "They're not just walls."

Suddenly the walls shimmered, and a live feed from a dark, dim cement room appeared, repeating side by side.

"Ingenius, isn't it? So you can now see the your four friends,cramped in a dark room, all alone. No one can save them... unless you beat our team in this fight," the girl continued. She chuckled. "The two Grays tried to escape. They started running around in my mansion, but in the end, I had to capture them again and lock them up."

"Who are you?" Natsu shouted up towards the speakers.

"The Boss," replied the female. "My, you don't look half bad. Natsu, is it? Your friend Gray from Earthland is a looker, too. It was rather hard to decide whether to date him or destroy him." She sighed dramatically.

"That idiot! When I find her, I'll rip her head off!" Erza shouted, her eyes flashing. She gave a poisonous glare up at the speakers.

"Oooh, I saw that! But I'm impressed. If looks could kill, I'd be dead!"

"I really wish looks could kill," muttered Mira, the air around her crackling with the scent of death.

"Calm down, _demon_. I'm not afraid of you. Anyhow, as for that contest... mind if I explain the rules to you?"

"Do we have a choice?" Laxus said.

"Welll..."

* * *

><p>"...no, but it's best to have some manners, don't you think?" she said, completing the sentence. "Now. Listen up, fairies. You have four people on your team, and a rather <em>cute<em> little blue cat! Happy, right? You're so darling, I just wanted to say that."

The girl, with long green hair and beige-tinted eyes, smiled as she sat curled up like a cat in her magical hovering beanbag chair. She was relaxing in the intercom room, with a view of the Arena on display on the security screens in front of her. She used an earpiece to hear everything the five fairies were saying.

"Oh... thank you?" Happy said.

"Just get on with it!" growled Erza.

"Fine, fine. Okay. This contest is between you four - ahem, I mean, five - and a team of five from the Cobras. Got it? All you do is pick your opponent - I'll let your team choose to make it more fair. Then you spend an hour with them to get to know them. After one hour, meet back in this Arena and then-"

The girl grinned and continued. "And then... you fight."

She pressed a button on the mike, and the intercom turned off.

The door opened behind her.

"Mei," Yori said.

"Oh, hi, li'l brother," Mei said, glancing behind her as the white-haired boy walked in silently.

"You done?"

"Yeah. Is _he_ coming to see me, too?" Mei asked eagerly.

"...Don't forget the plan. You'll get to see him later."

"Oh, good." Mei sighed dreamily.

Yori paused. "Sis, do you really..." he began, then stopped.

"Do I really want to do this?" Mei finished. She thought about it, then looked at Yori. "Yes, and no. I mean, he's so darn _cool_ and _hot_ and everything, how can I refuse him? And having this job, pretending to be him, the Boss, to make his plan work... it's so exciting I can hardly stand it!"

"Well... I don't really know how you feel 'cuz I've never liked someone before," Yori said. "I can't imagine calling a girl '_cool'_ and '_hot'_."

He gagged.

"Little brothers, what do they know? You're just a little kid," Mei sniffed.

"That's not a reason. I just don't _feel_ anything," Yori protested.

"You don't feel anything because you aren't old enough. Heck, what am I saying? _You're_ in love with your _books_. I forgot." Mei shook her head.

"Don't be silly. You can't be in love with a _thing_," Yori said.

Mei heaved an exaggerated sigh. "The Boss would understand," she said dreamily.

"I doubt it. Who oozes over a member of the other gender like that? The Boss is way too high-class to do that," Yori said, shuddering.

"What do _you_ know about him?" scowled Mei.

"I spend practically every day watching and taking his orders and listening to his creepy rants!" Yori exclaimed. "I spend..." Yori did some quick math. "I spend _five and three tenths_ as much time around him than you do."

"Don't rub it in," Mei pouted. "For a little boy, you have a really high IQ, and that's what makes you annoying."

"For an older sister, you are really dumb, and that's what makes you so despicable," Yori shot back. Then he looked at his watch. "Gotta go. It's almost time for me to go outside and join our Team."

"Okay. See ya."

"See ya. I wonder who will pick me?" Yori said to himself as he turned and walked out the door.

* * *

><p><strong>Ahh sorry it's so long!~~<strong> **please review!**


	23. The Team From the Cobras

**Chapter 23: The Team from the Cobras**

"Now, fairies. I will introduce you to our team from the Cobras," announced the girl's voice from the speakers. "Which reminds me. I'm the Boss, but you can call me Mei the Magnificent."

"Kidnappers aren't magnificent!" Natsu said angrily.

"That's just from your point of view! Besides, you kidnapped the blonde boy who was working for me, so that makes it even," countered Mei evenly.

"..." Natsu folded his arms against his chest and frowned.

"Anyway, so returning to the introductions... come in, Team Cobra!" she declared.

"Nothing's happening," Laxus said, bored.

"Just you wait, my sweet little lightning bolt," sang Mei.

"'Sweet little lightning bolt'?" Laxus repeated.

Natsu snickered.

Suddenly the ground underneath them shuddered violently, then stopped.

"Eh? What was that?" Natsu said.

"Ladies," crooned a female voice behind them. "And gentlemen. Welcome to our game."

"Who-" Natsu turned around, but saw no one.

"Who do you think?" the female voice giggled, this time front in front of them.

"Stop it, Ran. We're not here to play around with them," said an impatient male's voice.

"Don't be such a party pooper," scowled the female voice.

"Just show yourselves already!" Erza commanded, putting one hand on the knife at her hip.

Just then the ground quaked again, more violently, knocking Happy off Natsu's head (where he had been sitting)

"Ai!" Happy said, as he fell. Then an invisible creature picked him up, making it look like Happy had been falling then suddenly started flying using one leg.

Which was a good thing, because at just that moment the ground opened up.

"If you insist," said a girl's voice from the ground.

The four Fairy Tail mages, and Happy, heard someone snapping their fingers.

Five figures shimmered into view around them.

One was a tall female with long silver-and-green hair tied in a single ponytail coming out from the top left side of her head. She donned a tight white shirt without sleeves, and a loose pair of white pants with green and silver streaks running down them. Her eyes were dark green and had a playful but deadly gleam in them.

"I'm Ran. Nice to meet you!" she said, smiling. She had been the first one to speak.

Beside him was the one who had told her to 'stop it'. He was a good-looking male, but there was something in his eyes that Mira and Erza didn't like.

"I feel it too," Laxus whispered to Mira. Mira nodded.

The male had dark purple hair with shocking pink highlights and pale, paper-white skin, almost as if he were a ghost. He donned a black jacket, unzipped, over a slightly loose white t-shirt. His pants were loose, a little baggy, but comfortable. Everything he wore seemed as if it was tailored specially for him.

"And what's your name?" Mira asked im.

The male glanced at Mira and stared at her for a few moments. Then he answered, cautiously. "Hiroto... Daisuke. Just call me Hiroto, though," he said, his voice sounding almost shy.

"What about her?" Mira asked, gesturing to the figure from the ground.

She was short, with tan skin, short black hair, and eyes that were the burning red of fire. Her clothes were cute, but, other than a short, simple skirt over tights, she showed no sign of girlishness.

"Her name is Masa-" Ran began, but the tan girl glared at her.

"Nori. My name is _Nori,_" the tan girl completed.

"Isn't that a guy's name?" Erza whispered to Mira.

"Odd," Mira agreed. "And what did Ran say about 'Masa' or something like that?"

Erza shrugged.

"Don't forget about me!" called a fourth figure.

He was about eleven years old, probably. He had short white hair and a friendly smile. His eyes spoke of intelligence and common sense. He wore a normal t-shirt and jeans.

"I'm Yori, and I'm the third youngest," he said, grinning. "And the third oldest."

"Third?" Laxus repeated. "Who..."

Then he looked up and nudged Natsu. "Look who Happy found - his long lost brother."

"We're not brothers, just the same species: Exceeds," sniffed an Exceed with orange fur and black paws. He was hovering high in the air, dangling Happy by holding Happy's leg.

"You can let go, you know. I can fly," Happy told him.

"Let him go, Storm," said Hiroto.

Storm, the orange furred, black-pawed Exceed, nodded and dropped Happy. The blue Exceed swooped into the air and rejoined Natsu.

"Natsu Dragneel, the Salamander. Erza Scarlet, the Titania. Mira Jane Strauss, the Demon. Laxus Dreyar... Fairy Tail's stupid, childish Master's grandson," Hiroto said, chuckling.

"Shut up," Laxus said evenly.

"Fine with me," Hiroto said, amused.

"Well. Ran, the cheerleader. Nori, the tomboy. _Yori_, the happy kid guy. Hiroto, the wicked uppity leader with a crush on Mira," Natsu said calmly.

Laxus snickered, and felt a little respect for Natsu. A little.

Mira just smiled.

"No way! Hiroto does not have any feelings for girls, just like me," Yori said, shaking his head. He glanced admiringly at the older boy.

Hiroto looked unaffected, rather he smiled oddly at Natsu. "Please don't joke around. Or the Heartfilia girl could be next."

"Heartfilia? Lucy! What are you planning? What is your boss planning, that Mei girl?" Natsu shouted, leaping towards Hiroto.

"Natsu-" Erza began, but Natsu was on a roll.

Hiroto was unfazed. He whispered something, then reared back and punched Natsu in the gut.

Natsu howled as he was burst up into the air and landed a hundred metres away. "Cold! Hiroto, you-"

"That's right," Hiroto said softly. "I am a dragon slayer." He held up the fist, which glowed with a somehow liquid white-blue sheen. Ice. "The move I used was simple. I'm sure you know it, Salamander. Ice Dragon's Fist."

"Ice dragon slayer...!" Erza gasped.

Laxus' eyes widened, and Mira blinked.

"That's right. And you might have guessed; Storm is my Exceed," Hiroto went on.

Storm swooped over to Happy, who was on the other side of the Arena, picking daisies that were scattered in that area.

"Hey, blue Happy guy! Your master guy, is he bi? Pink hair an' all," Storm grinned.

Happy frowned at him. "No. Natsu's straight, and he's not my master guy! We're friends."

"How do you know that you're friends? He's probably just using you. No one would want to be friends with a blue-furred idiot like you."

"But-"

"And how do you know he isn't bi?"

"He... he likes a girl!" Happy said defensively.

Storm snorted. "Who'd that be?"

"Natsu's stuff isn't your business," Happy said.

"And? It's yours?"

"Aye! He tells me stuff, so I know it's okay, but I don't know you," Happy said. "And guess what? Natsu's a fire dragon slayer, and he's strong. His fire will definitely beat your Hiroto's ice!"

"Yeah? Then how come Hiroto could punch Natsu away using only his fist?"

"B-because!"

"Because what, blue-haired creep?"

"Because, Natsu's faking, and sooner or later he's going to find an excuse to punch Hiroto's head off for payback!" Happy shouted.

"Happy, it's okay," said the fire dragon slayer, coming up behind him and picking Happy up.

"Natsu..." Happy's eyes filled with tears.

"C'mon, we gotta go learn about the other three people's magic abilities now," Natsu said cheerfully.

"But, Natsu, the other Exceed was..."

"I don't care about the other Exceed, and you shouldn't either. I just care about you and the rest of my friends. You're my nakama, and whatever Storm says doesn't change that," Natsu reassured him. "I don't mind if he teases me or whatever. Let's go, okay?"

"...Okay!" Happy grinned at Natsu.

They walked back to the others.

"...I'm an exquip, and my specialty is swordsmanship," Erza explained.

"We've heard of you," Yori said, nodding.

"I'm a Takeover mage," Mira said. "My main specialty is Satan Soul, allowing me to take over the souls of demons."

"Lightning. Second generation lightning dragon slayer," Laxus said boredly.

"And," Natsu said, coming over. "I'm a fire dragon slayer, and I'm going to beat you up so bad, Hiroto, that your ice will turn to slush!" He looked at Hiroto.

For a few moments the atmosphere was tense as the two first generation dragon slayers stared at each other, trying to find some weakness in their eyes. Finally Hiroto turned back to them, completely uninterested, leaving Natsu staring at the space Hiroto had just occupied.

Ran giggled. "He got you there, Natsu Dragneel."

Natsu was silent. He kept staring, his mouth an angry, twitching line. Finally he broke away and turned back to the group.

"We-ell," Ran said, clearing her throat awkwardly.

"So what about you?" Mira asked politely.

Ran smiled, her eyes wide and gleaming with an unusual excitement. "I am an acid mage. My acid can burn and eat through metal and stuff, but I only use that kind when I want to kill someone. Since I'll be fighting against one of _you_, I'll use the temporary clog-your-magic kind. It's special acid that, instead of eating through your skin, it'll suck up all the magic it touches."

"Sounds creepy. What about you Yori?"

Yori smiled sheepishly. "I'm... I'm an exquip, too. My specialty is arms. Y'know... guns and ammo, stuff like that. And I guess you can say I use my genius, too, but that's just because I've got a really high IQ, not magic." He shrugged, and looked at Erza.

Erza blinked. Such a small boy, but with a record IQ and an acceptable skill in arms and exquip, working for a dark kidnapping organization? That wasn't something you saw everyday.

"What about you, little girl?" Mira asked gently.

"'Little girl'? Fine. If cuteness is what you want, then I'm the Easter Fairy," Nori scoffed.

"Seriously?" Mira said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, and I throw exploding eggs." The voice was sarcastic.

"Nori, be nicer," Yori said warningly.

"Fine, fine," Nori said grudgingly. She looked up at the four fairies with cold eyes. "I'm a plant mage, and my vines can pull your head off, so you'd better _not_ call me a little girl or give me a doll! I play _basketball_, you know!" she hissed at them.

"We know," Erza said, glancing at Yori, who shrugged.

"She's always like that," Yori whispered apologetically.

"Nori, Yori. Natsu, that rhymes!" Happy said, laughing.

"Of course it rhymes. Didn't you know that?" Nori said spitefully.

"Ma-Nori really admires Yori because, well, Yori is smart, powerful, and a boy," Ran explained, smiling.

"But not because I like him or anything," Nori said. "Not because I like him," she repeated for good measure.

"If she could blush, I think she would be blushing right now," Natsu whispered to Happy.

"Aye!" Happy whispered back.

"Also, I have the power of invisibility, flight, and going through the ground," Nori continued. "I can also make others invisible, which I did earlier, and make others go through the ground and fly, too."

"Useful," Laxus muttered.

The intercom crackled on again.

"Alright, everyone! Time to choose your opponent!" came Mei's voice. "Fairy Tail mages, please pick a partner."

"ALRIIIIIIGHT! I CLAIM THE ICE-WIELDING IDIOT!" whooped Natsu, pumping his fist in the air.

"No. Picking is not what I have in mind," Erza said. "Mira will go with Hiroto."

"What?! Erza, we're both dragon slayers, we should be versing each other! Heck, we were made to verse each other! I mean, he has Storm and I have Happy!" Natsu exclaimed.

"I don't think you'll be able to spend an hour with him without trying to strangle each other," Erza said.

"..." What could Natsu say? That much was true.

"I'm fine with that." Mira nodded.

"Natsu will go with Yori. Laxus will go with Nori. And I..." Erza glanced towards their opponents. "I will verse Ran."

She paused, then said, "Listen, all of you. This is a life or death situation, or at least it could be. If we don't do this right, we'll get kidnapped ourselves, and lose Gray, Edo-Gray, Juvia, and Edo-Juvia. So here's some advice.

"First, don't give them too much information about yourself. They'll use that to find your weakness and beat you up.

"Second, find _their_ weakness. Do whatever you can to find out about them, whether it's their lessons, experiences, stuff like that. Finding out about their past and how they grew up and how they got recruited into the Cobras is what you want to aim for.

"Third, relax and stretch out a bit whenever you can. There might not be enough time to warm up before your fight, and if you stretch and get ready beforehand, you'll be ready to go while they'll still need to get into the swing of things.

"And fourth..." Erza gazed into each of their eyes, a wistful, happy, expression on her face, with a hint of something close to sadness. "Good luck. Let's do this, for the sake of Fairy Tail, and our nakama."

"For Fairy Tail and our nakama," repeated her friends, each of their minds filled with different things, important feelings.

Laxus nodded, glancing towards the small girl, and Natsu forced away thoughts of punching Hiroto, instead focusing on Yori.

"Erza," Mira whispered. "Do you think this will work?"

"It has to," Erza said determinedly. "For the Grays, and the Juvias, it has to."

Mira nodded.

Erza turned back to the Cobras' team.

"We've decided on this: I will go with Ran, Mira with Hiroto, Natsu with Yori, and Laxus with Nori."

"Not what I was expecting, but I guess that's fine," Ran said, shrugging.

"Natsu Dragneel, the Salamander," Yori murmured.

Natsu was staring at Hiroto. Hiroto glanced at him, then turned and started talking with Mira. A few moments later they walked away, going through a door in the side of the Arena and disappearing from Natsu's line of sight.

"Darnit!" Natsu muttered, annoyed.

"Can't you say anything more creative than that?" yawned Nori, who was right beside him.

"Leave him alone, Nori," Yori said. "He's mine. You get the lightning guy."

Said lightning guy was currently staring at the sky.

"Fine. But he's boring, he won't do anything except stand there and agree with everything the Titania and the Demon say," Nori said with a scowl. "The Salamander is crazy enough so that I can have an excuse to let my carnivorous plants chomp his head off."

She sounded like she'd really do it, too.

"So, Salamander," Yori said cheerfully, walking toward Natsu. "What should we do for the next hour?"

"You can call me Natsu," Natsu said.

Yori's eyes widened. "You mean I can actually call the famous Salamander by his first name?"

Happy came over, laughing. "Natsu isn't famous for anything except for breaking down walls and destroying towns and stuff."

"Really? How does that happen?" Yori asked.

Erza's lecture repeated itself in Natsu's mind.

"_First, don't give them too much information about yourselves."_

"Well, while I fight, I only pay attention to myself, my opponent or opponents, my nakama, and anyone trying to sneak up on me. I won't really mind if I accidentally destroy a building," Natsu explained. _That's safe enough to tell him. Besides, it's sorta the truth anyway._

"I see," Yori said, nodding. "Hey, so where do you wanna go?" His eyes lit up. "The Cobras own this smashing pizza parlour. I'm in a higher rank than the chef, so I can always order more toppings and more tomato sauce and stuff. Wanna go?"

Natsu grinned. "Lead the way!"

Erza watch Yori and Natsu, and Happy, leaving the Arena, yelling about pizza. She smiled, but had a sudden thought: _This scene isn't complete without Gray and Natsu fighting._

She sighed. If they got through this, she wouldn't threaten to kill them ever again.

_Or at least I won't do it half the time. They still need a little maturity pounded into them. Literally._

"Come _on_, Titania!" called Ran, waving a glittery baton from out of nowhere. "Let's go someplace, or we'll be the last ones left if the lightning guy and Nori leave."

"Ah... yes," Erza said, turning back to the wild Ran. "Where do you want to go?"

Ran shrugged. "Anywhere, just let's not be the last."

"Oh. Okay," Erza said, and followed Ran out of the Arena.

Laxus was left staring at the small, demanding, scowling Nori.

"Hi. I'm Laxus Dreyar," Laxus said, not sure what to do.

"I know that, Dreyar," Nori said.

"Uh... you can call me Laxus." The mage scratched his head.

"Laxus," said the girl slowly.

"Yeah. So, what do you want to do? We're the last ones left in here."

Nori shrugged.

Laxus sighed. There was only one way to do this.

"HEY! Listen to me, girl. My orders were to get to know you for the next hour, and if you're going to insist on standing here like a dumb pig, we might as well start the fight now!" Laxus shouted.

Nori jerked up, surprised. After a moment of staring at Laxus' serious, annoyed face, she surprised Laxus by smiling. "I guess... you're not that boring after all."

Laxus relaxed, and it was at that moment that the girl chose to slap him.

"Oww!" Laxus touched his cheek. "What was that for?"

Nori was beaming. "For calling me a dumb pig."

"...Sure, I won't do that again. Now come on, let's go somewhere," Laxus said.

"Okay!" Nori looked a little more cheerful.

_But is it an act?_ Laxus thought. _She could just be trying to fool me..._

_Doesn't matter. I'm sure there's a story behind Nori's sullenness. I'll just have to work a little harder to find out._

The last pair of opponents exited the Arena.

Mei clicked the timer on her watch. Sixty minutes began to tick down.

_Good luck, Fairies,_ she thought, and then: _How I wish I was Mira Jane Strauss right now_.


	24. Nori's Past

**Chapter 24: Nori's Past**

The chef set down a silver tray in front of the two boys. Tomato sauce burst with flavour amongst sizzling cheese.

"The world has been set right! Thank you, pepperoni!" Natsu whooped, shoveling a slice into his mouth.

Yori stared at him. "Wow... you really are an excessive food addict. Natsu, are you a gurgitator?"

Natsu stared at Yori. "A what?"

"You know... a competitive eater," the younger boy explained.

Natsu grinned. "Yeah! You should see me when me and Icicle compete. We..." Then his eyes fell and he chewed his pizza in silence.

_Icicle? Ah, that is probably his nickname for the Earthland Gray._

"I... I'm sorry this had to happen," Yori said quietly. "I didn't like the idea, but..." He shrugged and smiled. "Orders are orders."

"Right." Natsu nodded. "Yeah, I know it's not your fault." He reached for another slice. "Aren't you gonna have any?"

"Huh? Oh, no, it's alright. I don't like pepperoni."

"Seriously? You don't know what you're missing out on!"

Yori laughed. "I prefer the vegetarian kind. The chef always gives it to me every time I come here."

Natsu blinked. "You're a vegetarian?"

"Nope. It's just that vegetarian pizza is my favourite type of pizza," Yori said, shrugging. "I guess it's because I used to eat so much of it with Nori."

"Nori?"

Yori gave a distracted smile. "Yeah. She was hired by the Cobras because of her wizard skills, and I was given the task of showing her around the business, telling her what she needed to know, stuff like that. We grew close. She's like a little sister."

"How old is she?"

"Nine. I'm eleven."

"Whoa, nine and eleven? And both of you were powerful enough to get hired," Natsu mused.

Yori nodded. "But you're pretty good yourself, from what I've heard. You've got a huge reputation! I heard there's this blonde-haired girl who likes you. Not that I know anything about love anyway," Yori added, rolling his eyes. "To me it's just junk. Who needs love when you're smart enough to have everything else you want?"

_A little genius, huh?_ Natsu thought. And his second thought: _Blonde-haired girl? Lucy?_

A pink tinge came to his cheeks.

Yori raised his eyebrows amusedly but said nothing.

* * *

><p>The sounds of their footsteps echoed loudly down the long hallway, and Erza's hair whipped around her face in red streaks as Ran wildly pulled her forward.<p>

"C'mon! This way!" she called, giggling.

"Wha-" Erza began, then decided to save her breath for later. _For such a girlishly wild girl, she's strong. Too strong, _she realized.

Finally Ran stopped, panting only a bit, in front of a wooden door.

"Here! This is my favourite place in the building," Ran said excitedly.

Erza pushed open the door and they walked inside.

Immediately, Erza was pounded by loud, roaring music blasting from speakers in all directions. Colourful lights swung across the floor from a huge silver disco ball hanging from the ceiling.

"I go here almost every day," Ran said.

She walked toward a long marble counter and leaned. "Hey, Jay K, wassup?"

"Yo, Ran! Nice to see my favourite customer. Where's Mei?"

"Mei?" Erza repeated. "Isn't that the name of your Boss? You know, the girl over the intercom?"

Ran gave Jay K a Look.

"Uh... there's another girl I know who's name is Mei - she's my friend, not the Boss," Ran explained quickly.

Erza nodded, but inside she wondered if Ran was telling the truth. She shrugged it off and focused on Ran and Jay K's conversation.

"...So who's the redhead?"

"My opponent in one of the Boss' crazu plans," Ran answered.

"Crazu?" Erza joined the conversation.

"It's my type of slang," Ran said, grinning.

"I see," Erza said.

Jay K laughed. "You'll soon get used to Ran's ways. She's got a lotta fads, and they usually pass after a while."

Jay K was an average guy, with shoulder-length dark, almost navy hair, a friendly smile and an easy-going attitude.

Erza sized him up. Looks? Above average. Comfortable to be around? _Wayyy_ above average. Should she be suspicious? Probably not. But it wouldn't hurt to be careful. Erza had to watch her words anyway, with Ran around.

Ran punched Jay K on the shoulder playfully. "Shouldn't you be serving your customers?"

"The other guys are taking care of the booth, so I think they wouldn't mind if I step out and take a seat with you two for a moment." Jay K winked at Erza and came out from behind the counter.

The three of them sat down in a plush booth. Every ten seconds they were bathed in blue light from the disco ball, and every half minute Ran's hair turned purple.

Jay K's lazy smile and refreshing talk made Erza feel at ease amongst the flashy lights and rock-and-roll music. The whole atmosphere was different from normal.

But while Erza was dallying in this heart-pounding, wild diner, Gray, Juvia, Edo-Gray, and Edo-Juvia were spending their possibly last moments in a dark, dank room.

"_Oi, Erza... Tell Natsu to shut up." Gray._

"_Erza, um... do you know where Gray-sama is?" Juvia._

Erza wasn't particularly attached to the two from Edolas before, but to her surprise she felt a small longing to have them back. And she knew that the possible pain at having Gray and Juvia killed would be the same pain that the Edolas guild would feel at having _their _Gray and Juvia lost. She couldn't let them feel that pain, either.

It was up to her, and Mira, Laxus, and Natsu. They had to do this! _It's got to work, or else...!_ she thought desperately.

"...Erza?"

"Huh?" Erza blinked back to reality.

"I said, do you want to have a dessert too, Erza?" Ran asked. "We have cheesecake, vanilla ice cream cake, chocolate ice cream cake, strawberry cake, and lemon meringue pie. And ice cream, of course."

"Do you have strawberry ice cream cake?" Erza asked, grinning.

"Of course!" Jay K laughed. "One strawberry ice cream cake coming up," Jay K announced, and went away.

"Alone at last," purred Ran.

"Yep. Jay K seems nice," Erza remarked.

"Everyone here is nice," Ran said. "Except for _him_."

"Him?" Erza asked.

"Um... this guy no one really knows a lot about," Ran explained. "He keeps to himself a lot, and no one really knows what he looks like except for the people on my team." She bit her lip.

_Aha!_ Erza thought. _She's said too much. That must mean there's something important about "him". Who who is he? What's his name?_

"..." Erza thought hard. Nothing added up. She could sense an answer in her mind, but it was fuzzy.

* * *

><p>"Nori! No! Seriously, little - uh, little boy!" Laxus shouted, his arms thrashing amongst the growing death vines.<p>

Nori grinned wickedly. They had been walking calmly, when Nori, who had slowed down enough to attack Laxus in a hallway. She magicked "death vines" from the ground, curling quickly around Laxus. She ordered them to drag Laxus back to the Arena, to Laxus's dismay.

"Little boy? Don't try to sugarcoat everything. If I want to kill you, I'll kill you. After all, we're going to fight sooner or later. Now. Show me your power, Laxus Dreyar of Fairy Tail."

_She speaks like an evil creep. Like a pirate girl or something,_ Laxus thought.

"Oh, come on, just let me go already! You'll find out later!" Laxus yelled at her desperately.

"Now or never," Nori said firmly, lifting one hand and closing it tightly into a fist. The vine around the lightning mage's neck tightened as well, and he gasped for air.

When he realized the little girl actually had the guts to do it, he sighed - or tried to sigh, since he didn't have much breath left - and thought, _Fine. If magic is what she wants, then I'll give it to her!_

"Lightning Storm!" Laxus muttered with as little breath as he could manage, straining to stretch out both hands in front of him, palms upward.

Slowly a globe of crackling, electric light filled the space between his palms, growing in size. Nori stared hard as lightning bolts snapped out of the glowing sphere, striking the closest things near - her death vines.

Laxus watched calmly as the vines were struck by the lightning, its electric bolts burning through the tough plants.

He dropped to the ground of the grassy Arena, taking deep, silent breaths, and listening to the satisfying hiss of the vines as they disappeared like ordinary magical objects.

It took awhile for Nori to find her voice. "Well. You're not so bad," she said slowly.

"Thanks," Laxus said quietly. "Hey. Want to make a deal?"

"What kind of deal?" Nori questioned.

"When we fight, if I win, you tell me your real name. If you win, I stay with the Cobras and you get to have me as your tease and play thing."

"No fair! If I win, you're going to become a captive like the deal that our Boss made with you Fairy people."

"Okay. The contest is based on majority - if three Fairies win, and one Fairy loses, then we win, but if three Cobras win and one Cobra loses, you guys win, right? If the Cobras win, there's no choice but to become your prisoners. But if the Fairies win, but I'm the one Fairy that loses against you, then you get to keep me and slap me around and stuff. However, if you lose _or_ the whole Cobra's team loses, you tell me your real name."

"...Fine. You have a deal. But let me add," Nori said, breaking into a grin. "I'll win. Just you wait."

They shook hands, and Laxus noticed that her hands were unnaturally cold.

"Now," Laxus said, "since I batted away your little death vines, tell me something as a prize."

"A prize? Only little kids get prizes," Nori scoffed.

"Then a reward, like, something you get for winning a contest, you know? So tell me something."

"Something... like what?" Noro asked suspiciously.

"Like how you got here. How you got hired into the Cobras," Laxus answered.

"No." Nori crossed her arms over her chest.

"You can't say no," Laxus replied calmly. He knew she'd give in. She had a sense of chivalry.

Nori stared at Laxus for a long moment, sizing him up. Laxus felt like an antique on display.

"Alright."

Laxus waited.

Nori sighed. "It was a dark, dreary night five years ago," she began softly.

"_Run! Run, hurry up!"_

"_Papa, I can't-I can't leave you and Mama!" she cried._

"_We'll be alright, just get out of here, now!" His voice was barely audible over the roar of the fire that filled the house. He gave her a push on the back._

_She clattered forward, through the smoke and the flames, into one room, into another, until at last she stumbled out of the house and into the forest behind their house._

_She scrambled up a tall tree and watched as the flames licked up to the roof. A section of the roof collapsed into the house, and in the second that the debris cleared briefly, she saw two lifeless bodies sprawled inside the house._

"_Papa... Mama..." she choked, grasping at the branches of the tree desperately. Then she suddenly stopped and fiercely wiped her tears away._

"_No," she told herself determinedly. "I shouldn't feel like this. I miss them, but that won't do any good. What I will do is find a way to make my own living."_

_She turned, but as she started to climb down the tree, she scraped her hands and legs on the rough bark. A slight tingle shot through her spine, but she ignored it._

_She dropped to the ground and held up her hands to examine any damage. "What? Sparks?"_

_Green sparks shot out of her fingers for a brief moment, then vanished. _

"_..."_

_She turned and touched the tree she had just climbed. A piece of bark fell into her hand, and the green sparks returned, piercing into the piece of bark. In seconds the bark was gone, and a wisp of glowing green smoke vanished above her palm._

"_What? Is this... the magic that so many guilds have? Ah! I should... I should join a guild," she whispered, her eyes glued to the new green sparks that shot randomly out of her fingers._

_She tried it out, turning and pointing her finger at the ground. "Strawberry bush!" she said, knowing perfectly well that there was no such thing._

_She waited for about five seconds, and sighed. Maybe it was just wishful thinking._

_Then the ground shook slightly. She gasped and wrapped her arms around a tree trunk as if it could help her._

_In front of her, the ground split apart, and suddenly a small stem poked out of the earth. More stems grew around it and from it, and from the stems grew bright green leaves and small, red fruits - strawberries!_

_Hardly daring to believe her eyes, she cautiously walked forward and plucked a strawberry from the bush. She popped it in her mouth and savoured the delicious flavor._

"_Mmm!"_

_She ate another, and another, then finally she lay down on the grass and fell asleep._

"_...Hey! Wake up!"_

"_...Unn?" She sat up, rubbing her eyes, then noticed the cheerful, sensible-looking boy with white hair in front of her._

"_I'm Yori. You fell down in a forest and so I brought you here," he said, gesturing to the large, exquisite room they were in. He smiled. "What's your name?"_

"_Ma-I mean, um, I'm Nori," she said quickly. "Where am I?"_

"_You're in a place called the Cobras' HQ. Most of us use magic, and we work for this awesome guy who we call the Boss. I don't like him sometimes, but for some reason I really admire him," Yori explained._

_There was something about him that Nori liked for some reason. She usually got pissed at cheerful, talkative people, but this Yori guy wasn't __**too**__ cheerful or talkative, just sort of normal. Plus, his smile looked really like he meant everything he said._

_Over the next few days, Nori learned that Yori was the only one who could see the Boss, and that the Cobras were a secret dark-magic organization that had a big plan. "So it's a guild?" Nori had asked when Yori told her about it. Yori had laughed and had said no, but it is the most powerful, strongest magical organization there was outside of real guilds._

_After about a week, Nori decided that the Cobras was much, much better than a guild._

_Then one day Yori brought her to a big grassy area that he called the Arena._

"_I am going to introduce you to the top magical team in the Cobras. That includes me and this girl called Ran. There used to be another guy, but he died," Yori said matter-of-factly._

"_Oh," Nori said._

"_Nori, do you want to join the Cobras?" Yori asked suddenly._

"_J-join the Cobras?" Nori asked, shocked. What was Yori saying?_

"_We need a new member of our team, since the third guy died. And you show potential."_

"_Potential?" Nori stammered. _

"_Yes. You have magic in you."_

"_How do you know?" demanded Nori. She hadn't told anyone about her green sparks and the strawberry bush._

"_Because when we found you, we sensed a deep magical seed in you. And we saw green sparks coming from your hand, and we saw the strawberry bush," Yori explained. He paused._

_Then he continued. "Can I tell you what kind of power you have, Nori?"_

"_O-okay."_

"_You are a plant mage. But not a plant mage like a dumb guy from a guild that I know in Fiore, but a real plant mage. Your plants aren't made for pleasure, though." Yori stopped and stared straight into Nori's eyes. _

"_Your plants are made to kill."_

"_What?!"_

"_That's why you didn't wake up for a week after you ate those strawberries - we figured out what happened. Plus we got one of our prisoners to try one of the strawberries out, and they died in ten minutes."_

_Nori shuddered and asked, "Why didn't I die?"_

"_Because you're the one who made it. The most it could do was knock you out for a week," Yori answered. "And being able to make such a powerful plant of _strawberries_, at such a young age - you're powerful. And the Boss wants you with the Cobras."_

"_Really?" Nori couldn't believe it. Was this what she was made to do?_

_But she couldn't kill people. She couldn't. She knew how painful it would be for the people who knew victims since she was one herself._

"_I know what you're thinking, Nori," Yori said gently. "But think of it this way - the whole purpose of our team is to fulfil the Boss's plans... including taking down Fairy Tail."_

"_Fairy Tail?" Nori hadn't heard of Fairy Tail before._

"_Yes. Fairy Tail. The ones who destroyed your home and killed your parents. We know all about it. Your parents were dark mages like us... and Fairy Tail killed them. Walk in your parent's footsteps, Nori. Get revenge. The darkness is in your blood... you know that you want to..."_

_Revenge. The word sounded like a dream to Nori. And as she listened to Yori, she knew that what he was saying was right. It was in her blood. Already, her heart darkened, and she knew, she knew she could do this. She would taste victory and become part of the most powerful team in the most powerful dark magical organization._

_And she wouldn't follow in her parent's footsteps. She would be _better_ than they were. Because if she had even the slightest weakness, this Fairy Tail guild would hunt her down and kill her, too. So no. She would make Fairy Tail pay the toll for killing her parents, and still love them, but she would stay stronger than they'd been._

"_Yes," she said firmly. "I'll do it. I'll join the Cobras."_

"_Good. Now you can meet Ran, and we can all start training as a team. Our training is hard. Are you up to it?"_

"_Yes," Nori said confidently._

"Fairy Tail?!" Laxus repeated, stricken. "We'd never kill anyone on a job! Set fire to stuff, sure, but the only one who does that is Natsu, but Erza would always stop him before it got out of control!"

"And what if she didn't stop him?" Nori demanded.

"He still wouldn't. Even Natsu wouldn't do such a stupid thing, killing people like that," Laxus defended, surprising himself.

"Don't joke around. Stop making excuses, _Fairy_," Nori scoffed disgustedly.

"Hey, I may not like pretty princess stuff, but I bear the name of _fairy_ proudly, okay?" Laxus said. "Plus," he said, a thought dawning on him. "You said this happened five years ago, right?"

Nori nodded. "So what?"

"Five years ago, all of us except for Macao, Wakaba, Jet, Droy, Laki, Reedus, Kinana, and a few others, were trapped on Tenrou Island. We couldn't have possibly set fire to your home. And the guild members who were left behind - they didn't have any extreme jobs like that because most of the top people left," Laxus said calmly. "Nori… they didn't tell you the truth.

"...Un..." Nori looked away, but not before Laxus caught a glimpse of her burning red eyes, wide and watery. Her whole body shook. Laxus watched a tear fall to the ground.

"No. It can't be. No. _No!_" she shouted, turning back to Laxus with fire in her eyes. "You're lying!"

"I'm sorry," Laxus said quietly. He turned and walked away.

Nori stood there, trembling, and, when Laxus finally disappeared from sight, she collapsed to the ground of the Arena and sobbed.


	25. The First Fight

**Chapter 25: The First Fight**

Edo-Juvia pulled her shirt tighter around her, trying to block out the cold, damp air in the cellar where they were locked up. She and Juvia had been placed here for a while now, ever since they were kidnapped. About two hours ago, the cellar door had opened, and to their shock and surprise, Gray and Edo-Gray were pushed in.

So now the four of them were sitting on the freezing cellar floor.

Edo-Gray noticed and walked over to Edo-Juvia. He took off one of his layers and wrapped it reverently around her.

"Thanks," whispered Edo-Juvia, for perhaps the first time appreciating Edo-Gray's many layers. He'd generously given up a few so that the girls could be warmer. Edo-Gray didn't even bother trying to offer a shirt to Gray.

"Don't thank me. I don't think I deserve it. Fullbuster and I were stupid enough to get caught, and if we hadn't, we'd have busted you guys out of here. Now it looks as if we're all stuck," Edo-Gray said quietly.

"Hey, don't worry," Edo-Juvia said, forcing a grin onto her face. She playfully punched Edo-Gray in the arm. "We've been in rougher spots than this. Remember the time we got stuck in the middle of the sea with a horde of outlawed Exceed pirates surrounding us?"

"Yeah. And the time we were being held captive by those creepy black market dealers. They tied us around a box full of grenades."

"Luckily it turned out that you had picked one of their pockets before hand and unlocked the lock. One more second, and we would've been dead meat," Edo-Juvia added. She smiled at Edo-Gray. "You've really learned a lot since I first met you."

"I have a good teacher," replied Edo-Gray.

The two sat in comfortable silence for a while, pondering over their past experiences back in their home world.

Then they were startled out of their thoughts as Juvia and Gray stirred on the other end of the room.

Gray yawned and stretched. "Oi, that was the best nap I've had in ages," he remarked loudly.

"How can you act so nonchalant when we're stuck in this dump?" Edo-Juvia scolded.

Gray shrugged. "Must be the cold air. Not as cold as up in the mountains, but it's cold all the same." Gray smiled dreamily. Then to everyone's surprise, he spread his arms wide and shouted, "I love the cold!"

"Creep. What kind of answer is that? No one with a right mind would _want_ to be freezing cold," Edo-Juvia said.

"Fine, then. I guess the harder the situation, the better I feel," Gray replied, dropping his arms.

"Exactly like Natsu Dragneel," Edo-Juvia murmured. She and Edo-Gray shared a sneaky look.

"Hey! Don't match me with that flame-brain!"

"Never," Juvia put in, tilting her head and smiling at Gray.

Gray blushed for a moment, then scowled and turned to his Edolas counterpart. Juvia looked at Edo-Juvia, and they both grinned despite the situation. Maybe Gray's indifference was catching on.

"So, how's the situation so far?"

"Someone came in about an hour ago and installed a sort of camera up there," Edo-Juvia reported. She hadn't taken any naps. Neither had Edo-Gray.

"Yeah," Edo-Gray said. "When he caught us looking at him, he turned and said,_ "One."_ He pointed to me._ 'Two.'_ He pointed to Fullbuster. _'Three.'_ He pointed to Juvia. _'Four.'_ He pointed to, uh, Edo-Juvia. _'Nine.'_ He didn't point at anyone. Instead, he waved his hands to indicate the whole room. Then he walked away," Edo-Gray explained, puzzled.

"I'm pretty sure he was doing a head count or something," Edo-Juvia finished.

"Then why the nine?" Juvia wondered. Then her eyes widened. "You don't think-"

"Maybe. Fairy Tail is just the kind of guild to do anything to get their nakama back," Gray mused.

"Yes. Nakama is everything to us," Juvia said worriedly. "So that means five of our friends came to help us. Are they going to be kidnapped, too?"

"Well, the Cobras will probably try to kidnap them. But I'll bet the rescue team includes Erza and Natsu, at least. If they want to capture _those_ two, they're going have a whole lot more trouble than they expected," Gray grinned.

The Juvias had explained what they knew so far about the Cobras, at least before they were kidnapped, so now both boys knew the name of their kidnappers.

"Erza and Natsu... I know that Erza's strong. Natsu is the one who is really wild and pretty powerful but his weakness is transportation, right?" Edo-Juvia asked.

"Yep," Gray confirmed.

Edo-Gray snickered. "Total opposite of _our_ Natsu."

While those three chatted, Juvia sat down and tried to get some more sleep. As her mind drifted under its blanket, she thought, _Everyone... it's up to you to rescue us from here. Good luck, nakama...!_

* * *

><p>Mira and Hiroto were strolling in a wide, pleasant field. The tall grass swayed gently in the gentle breeze, tickling Mira's legs. Hiroto looked calm, and Mira smiled at his faraway, dreamy gaze.<p>

_How... humane. He's much more relaxed than he was at the Arena._

Mira knelt and gently caressed the soft, delicate petals of an unfamiliar flower. The petals were black.

"That's a darkweed."

Mira was startled by Hiroto's sudden remark. His voice was softer than before.

"A... darkweed?"

"Yes, but it's not really a weed. Pardon the name. It's my flower... I made it up, using magic." Hiroto's voice was tinged with longing, and Mira caught a hint of sadness in his words.

"It's amazing. You made it up?"

"Yes. Using magic," Hiroto repeated.

"Magic... you can make flowers with ice magic?" Mira asked, surprised. "Isn't that impossible?"

"No... anyone can make their own plants by just taking a normal plant and passing your magic from your hands to the plant. Then when it grows and gets seeds, you get more. What you make reflects your own feelings, sort of represents who you are." Hiroto looked uncomfortable. "Let's keep going, alright?"

Mira nodded, and they kept walking, but all the while she wondered... _"Reflects your own feelings and represents who you are"...? What kind of emotions, what kind of personality is Hiroto? What is Hiroto really like, to be able to make such a dark, beautiful flower... pretty on the outside but its petals are actually dark?_

Then a thought struck her, and Mira gasped.

"Mira? Is everything alright?" Hiroto asked.

"Nothing. I'm fine," Mira lied quickly, covering up her new realization. She smiled up at Hiroto.

"Then we should hurry back to the Arena. An hour is nearly up," Hiroto said, smiling back.

He kept on walking, and Mira stayed behind.

She stared at the ice dragon slayer as he walked ahead of her. The truth about Hiroto's real personality became clearer. And darker. And...

Mira paused, then caught up to Hiroto. The two of them walked back to the Arena.

Hisss! Snap! Cr-rr-a-ack! Sounds of a magic fight erupted from the Arena. Mira turned to Hiroto in surprise. "Someone's already started?"

"Seems like it," Hiroto said, shrugging as if it was no big deal, but his eyes were dark, sharp and alert - reminding Mira of a wild cat.

They quickened their pace. Mira wanted to run, but Hiroto was still just walking, so she had to match his pace.

They swiftly ducked through a narrow opening and stopped abruptly.

"I-won't-believe-you!" Nori shrieked, slashing into the air with a forward motion of her arm. A horde of plants with flowered heads and open mouths with rows of sharp, gleaming teeth leapt forward at the same time.

Laxus skipped backwards and let loose a burst of lightning which exploded directly in front of the cavernous horde of plants. The plants, singed and smoking, sank quickly back into the earth.

"What in the name of Fiore-?!" Mira exclaimed.

"Typical Nori. She must have gotten irritated or bored or maybe both, and decided to start the fight sooner than decided." Fudge that Hiroto, he sounded amused. Mira shook her head.

Meanwhile, Nori and Laxus were still fighting.

"Fruit bomb!" Nori hissed, tossing her arm out in front of her. Instantly queer-looking plants burst forth from the ground. They had a big leaf for the top, and on the leaves appeared tiny fruits, one after another, which were continuously catapulted far off to where Laxus was standing.

"Lightning Body!" Laxus muttered, and Nori watched, gasping, as his entire body became a burning bolt of lightning. Laxus, in his lightning form, darted through the air, burning the deadly fruit as he touched it.

"Just give up, Nori. We both know I'll win," Laxus muttered gently as he zipped by Nori's ear.

Nori gave a small scream as she swiveled to meet the voice, but Laxus had already swooped away. "No! I-I-can't! I can't betray the Cobras. I have to win!" she called desperately.

"Nori... this isn't for the Cobras, is it? I've watched you. You don't care about the Cobras," Laxus said the next time he swerved by.

"What?! What are you talking about?!" Nori shouted, her face turning red.

"You really just care about..." Laxus passed briefly.

"About what?!"

"About Yori," Laxus answered, passing her again.

"Hey! Get back here, you-"

But Laxus had electrocuted away all the fruit bombs, and landed casually on a mound of grass on the other side of the Arena.

"Nori..." he began.

"No! I'm not going to listen! Yori wouldn't lie to me! Yori... he's..." the little girl whispered desperately.

"Nori..." came a quiet voice.

Mira and Hiroto turned to see Yori walking in, with Natsu close behind him.

"Yori!" the girl said, eyes lighting up with hope. "Tell him you wouldn't. Tell him it's all true!"

"Nori," Yori said quietly. "I'm sorry." He glanced at Hiroto, who was standing with Mira at the edge of the Arena.

Mira watched as Hiroto gave a little nod of his chin.

Yori continued, "Orders are orders. The Boss told me to do it... you wouldn't have joined unless we said something about revenge, and since Fairy Tail was part of our plan... it just worked. We had to do it. I'm... I'm sorry."

"Yori..." the girl whispered, sinking to her knees.

Laxus walked toward them and knelt beside her, putting one hand on her shoulder. She was crying, her shoulders shaking.

Yori walked back to Natsu, Hiroto and Mira, his footsteps lagging. He looked extremely depressed. Natsu patted him on the back.

"Nori," Laxus said softly.

The little girl looked up with wide, glistening eyes.

"Why? I did all this, and Yori - Yori lied to me. All this time it was for the Cobras. I'll bet he didn't even really want me here at all," she whispered miserably.

Laxus didn't say anything. What could he say anyway? That Yori was a bad guy and Nori should come and join Fairy Tail or something?

Fudge, why am I thinking of making her betray the Cobras in a time like this? Fairies... I am a Fairy Tail member, and first I need to comfort Nori, then the whole Cobras business can be settled. Nori first.

"I thought he trusted me. I thought he wanted me. I thought that the Cobras was where I belonged! Dreyar..."

"Huh?"

"I... what should I do?"

"Um... what do you want to do?"

"I don't know."

Nori looked down at the earth, her tears falling freely. The ground greedily soaked up her tears, just as the Cobras had been soaking her talents and abilities for their own gain.

"Whirl-wings," Nori said suddenly.

Laxus watched with shock as the air around them swirled with a luminescent golden whirl of magic. A huge, powerful wind blow from every side, and suddenly Laxus felt himself being lifted into the air.

He turned to see Nori with a grim, determined look on her face.

_Poor girl. She's experienced more angst in the past hour than normal people would in a lifetime._

"Almost there," Nori said softly.

"Almost where?"

"You'll see."

Laxus glanced at Nori, then smiled. "Okay."

* * *

><p>"Whoa, a flying golden whirlwind!" Natsu exclaimed, grinning.<p>

"Whirl-wings," clarified Yori, gasping. He turned to Hiroto with a panicked look on his face. "Hiroto, look! Nori, she-"

"Let her go," Hiroto said indifferently. "It's fine."

"No! I can't!" Yori pleaded. "We can't just let her go. I-We need her!"

Natsu pulled Yori back. "Yori, calm down."

"That's right. The Cobras aren't big on nakama. It's nothing to us," Hiroto said coldly.

"But-" Yori fell backwards with a pained expression. He fell silent, his eyes drawn to his feet.

Natsu rolled his hands into tight fists. _Nakama, worth nothing? I wanna pound this brat to bits! Nakama is everything. Nakama is what we're fighting for right now!_

"Yori..." Natsu began.

"I'm fine! I don't care about Nori! My priority is the Cobras. Just please leave me alone!" Yori stammered, stumbling backwards.

Natsu stared at Yori. _The Cobras have obviously brainwashed their members. When this is over, I'm gonna find the Boss and pound her to the dust..._

Speaking of "the Boss", the intercom suddenly crackled to life.

"Hiiiii, everyone! This is Mei again, the Boss. Since fight number one just ended, let's start with fight number two. I see that Ran and the Titania aren't here yet. Any volunteers?" came the sing-song voice of Mei.

"I'll go."

"What?! Yori?" Natsu turned to the white-haired boy.

Yori nodded, averting his eyes from Natsu.

"...Fine. Sure. Whatever. I don't care," Mei said, although the slight shock was obvious.

"...Yori," Natsu said.

"What?"

"If I win, I want you to do something for me."

"Do what?"

"I'll tell you when I win."

"..." Yori glanced at Natsu curiously, but Natsu had already taken his position at the other end of the Arena.

"Ready..." Mei said gleefully.

Yori walked to a place where he felt comfortable to start.

"Set..."

He closed his eyes and concentrated, letting the magic swell up inside him.

"Go!"

The white-haired boy opened his eyes and attacked.


	26. The Second Fight

**Chapter 26: The Second Fight**

_Sorry for the late update! I got a little behind on homework _

_Enjoy!_

* * *

><p>"Exquip: Dark Bazooka!" Yori shouted, moving forward and stretching out his arms into the air.<p>

Natsu watched as a long, gleaming black-and-silver weapon appeared in his hands.

_Seems easy enough, but I guess I should be on my guard just in case Yori pops a surprise out of nowhere,_ Natsu thought, not worried at all. One of his best traits was that he was extremely confident in fights and it was hard to get him intimidated. That was one of his worst traits, too.

Yori lifted the bazooka. Instantly hundreds of tiny, darting, silver bullets shot out from the barrel and sprinted towards Natsu.

"Easy," Natsu murmured, half-grinning as he lifted his hands to his mouth. "Fire Dragon's Roar!"

Golden-orange flames shot forward, exploding in midair as they contacted with Yori's bullets.

"My bullets..." Yori whispered.

"Sorry. This is a fight, y'know," Natsu said calmly.

"Hey! How'd you-"

"I'm a dragon slayer. I have enhanced hearing."

"Right. I knew that." Yori wiped his hand across his mouth and glared at Natsu. "That was just a warm-up, dragon slayer. Get ready to die."

"Good. I thought there was more to you than a few bullets," Natsu grinned. _Yeah! This is just starting to get fun._

And then: _Get ready to die? What are you thinking? You're really brainwashed now aren't you, after Nori left? Weird guy. That Boss girl is weird, too._

"Exquip: Death Grenade!" Yori muttered. He raised both arms, and made slashing motions.

Instantly the ground around Natsu exploded with mini black grenades, in exactly two straight slashes like Yori's arm motions.

Natsu leaped backwards easily. _Oi, is he seriously that dumb? How can I be defeated by a few bombs?_

And then he stepped on something, and heard a small click.

"What the-"

_A mine!_

Natsu grimaced as the mine underneath him shuddered briefly, then exploded in a million shards, cutting through his shoes. He was suddenly battered with hundreds of tiny pieces attacking his arms and legs.

"Agh!" He covered his face with his arms and fell backwards.

"Dumb fairy," Yori said.

_Since when did Yori use words like dumb? Oh. I get it. He's angry and frustrated that he couldn't do anything to stop Nori from leaving, and he's taking it out on me. I guess I'd do that too, but in the first place I wouldn't even give up. I'd keep on fighting until Nori stayed. Doesn't this guild know anything about nakama?!_

"That's what I hate about you Cobras," Natsu muttered as blood ran down his arms and legs from the bomb.

"What?"

Yori watched, wide-eyed, as Natsu stood up among the smoke.

"I said, that's what I hate about you Cobras! _Don't you know anything about nakama?!"_ Natsu yelled. "Fire Dragon Iron Fist!"

And suddenly Yori found himself choking up dust, back flat against the muddy ground.

He looked down and found a small trail of dirt and blood dripping onto the ground. _Blood...? Oh. My blood. Natsu must have landed a strong punch or something..._

_Natsu. Darnit, the fight! I've got to get up!_

_Ergh..._ Yori pushed himself up on one arm, wincing at the pain it caused him. Dust swirled through the air, blinding him temporarily and making him sneeze.

He collapsed. He couldn't do it. All his magic power was drained from him. He was exhausted, and he had lost.

_What a day... First I lose Nori, then I lose the fight. I've betrayed Nori and I've disappointed the Boss._

He almost felt like laughing. This whole thing was ironic. He gave up everything to fight for his number one priority - the Cobras - and then he lost.

_Why? _

Footsteps.

Yori looked up and squinted, waving away a film of dust that was blocking the view in front of him. Natsu's pink hair was the first thing he saw.

"No..." Yori groaned. "I don't want to see you. Just please, go!"

"Yori, go after her," Natsu said seriously.

Yori stared at his hands. "No. You've gotta be kidding. Why should I?"

"Because we made a deal. I've won, face the facts, Yori. So now you have to do me a favor. And I want you to go after Nori."

Natsu's eyes were more serious than Yori had ever seen. They were sad, faraway, but angry at the same time.

"No," breathed Yori. "I can't. I won't."

Natsu closed his eyes for a long moment. When he finally opened them again, they were fiery red with anger.

"You...You Cobras are all the same! Don't you know what the word _nakama_ means? Face it, you white-haired dumb genius boy! You love Nori, but you're the one who chased her away. So if you want her back, go get her!" shouted Natsu.

_You're the one who chased her away._

Yori stared at the ground, heart thumping madly in his chest. _I won't do it. I won't! I told myself I would serve the Cobras. Nori has nothing to do with me anymore._

At the same time he felt drawn to what Natsu had said. _Nakama. Nori and I... we were never really nakama, were we?_

For the first time in his life, the white-haired genius felt really stupid.

"Um..." He glanced upwards at Natsu, then looked down again quickly.

"I'll take that as a yes," Natsu said, breaking into a grin.

"Wha-" Yori protested, but Natsu just patted him on the head and began to walk away.

Yori stared after him. Natsu turned around and gave Yori a quizzical look. "Aren't you coming?"

The boy paused, turned, and glanced at Hiroto. Hiroto caught his eye and nodded slightly.

Yori ran to catch up with Natsu.

* * *

><p>"You've got to be kidding me, Yori," muttered Mei, scowling. "You're forsaking the Cobras to go after that girl? What happened to your loyalty to the Boss? You fudgin' brother."<p>

She slammed a fist onto the dashboard as she watched Yori's small form retreat out of the Arena through a screen.

Then she remembered her duty and picked up a microphone.

* * *

><p>"Well, then, two down, two to go. So far the Fairies have won their games. Currently, Ran and Erza have just started their fight in the Cobra's pizza parlor," announced Mei's voice over the intercom. "Oh... nevermind. It just ended!"<p>

Just then, Ran came running in. "And I won!" she squealed delightedly. "Erza can't fight!"

"Ran, you wicked girl," Hiroto grinned. "What did you do to her?"

"I fed her some cake with a magic draining potion in it," Ran declared proudly. "My awesome buddy Jay K served it hot out of the oven!"

Hiroto laughed and grinned at Mira.

"Now the score is two to one... but we'll forget about that. Now that Laxus, Nori, Yori, Natsu, and Erza are out of the way, it's down to me and Ran verse... you. Although," Hiroto added. "I have a feeling only Ran is needed. As the Boss, I don't need to dirty my hands on petty little Fairies."

"As the Boss...?" Mira whispered. "_You're_ the Boss? I thought Mei..."

"Mei is my friend. She's Yori's older sister and an incredible actress," Ran giggled. "She just pretended to be the Boss so that the real Boss - Hiroto - can be down here in all the action."

Suddenly the intercom crackled to life again.

"We-elll, it seems that the real Boss and Ran have let you know our little secret. So let the fight begin!" Mei exclaimed excitedly.

"Not... yet..." groaned a small voice behind them.

All three of them turned to see a crawling body stop behind them. They watched her push herself up with one arm, a trickle of blood adorning her fingers.

Scarlet hair falling around her face, with eyes fierce and determined and slightly wild, Erza turned and slapped Ran in the face.

Ran fell backwards on the dusty ground, eyes wide. "I thought I dealt with you already! Jay K fed you the-"

"Jay K? That little maggot is bleeding on the floor of your beloved pizza parlor right now. Don't mess with me or Fairy Tail!" Erza shouted, glaring at Ran. "You Cobras and your cheating, filthy ways. Fairy Tail is gonna beat the heck out of you and your Boss," she added, turning to look at Hiroto.

The two of them had a staredown for a long moment, Erza panting and angry and Hiroto almost amused.

"Erza..."Mira whispered as Ran got up.

The Titania turned and smiled at Mira. "Let's do this, for our nakama."

Mira nodded. This was the strength of Fairy Tail.

"Ooh, how awesome! The two most powerful women of Fairy Tail are about to verse the two most powerful mages of the Cobras!" squealed Mei's voice over the intercom. "Ready... set... GO!"

* * *

><p><strong>Yes I apologize... this one was a little shorter than the others and not the best chapter I've ever done but I'm looking forward to writing about the next fight! <strong>

**Gomen! Please R&R!**


	27. Erza and Ran!

**Chapter 27: Erza and Ran**

_**Sorry for taking so long to update ^.^lll**_

_**Thanks to all of you for waiting so patiently... enjoy!**_

* * *

><p>Nori waved her hands in a horizontal motion and suddenly they were free-falling.<p>

They crashed to the ground, Laxus somersaulted at the last moment and landed on his feet. Nori, surprisingly nimble, did a backflip and was now standing squarely on her feet.

Laxus looked around. They were in a huge rainforest-type area. The canopy overhead was so thick with leaves and branches that the air around them glowed green from the sun through the forestry. Somewhere, a family of monkeys chattered. The tinkling of the rain brought an air of serenity to the jungle.

"Now what?" Laxus asked, looking down at the girl.

"I..." Nori took a deep breath. "I'm going to run away. Some place in Fiore where I will never see the Cobras again. Maybe even someplace outside of Fiore."

"Leave Fiore?!" shouted Laxus.

Nori stared.

"Sorry," Laxus said sheepishly, scratching his head. "But to leave this country... how would you survive on your own?"

"Well I never said I'd leave Fiore, just that I _might_. Anyhow, I've decided I'm going to cut all this evil black underworld business. Thieving and murdering... I'm going to cut all my ties with the Cobras and everything that they do," Nori said determinedly. "Maybe I'll become a policewoman or something."

"That would be interesting. A member of the elite underworld turning into a law enforcer. But you do have magic. Why don't you join Fairy Tail?" Laxus suggested.

Then he blinked. _What the heck am I doing?! I can't just invite her like this. She probably won't want to join; after all, we're the ones who attacked her group... Then again, she did leave the Cobras already..._

"I can't. I'm sorry. I've made enemies of your guild so I can't possible join," Nori laughed. It was fake. Laxus could see the sadness in her eyes.

He gripped her shoulders.

"Are you joking? The Cobras might hate their enemies, but Fairy Tail isn't like that! Juvia, Gajeel - heck, even _I_ tried to destroy Fairy Tail in the past."

"...You?" Nori repeated, eyes wide.

Laxus let go and ran a hand through his hair. "Uh, yeah. Not something I'm proud of, but seriously, no one cares. Nakama forgives, right? Come join us."

He smiled down at the little girl.

"Okay?" he said gently.

Nori looked down. "I..."

Then she looked up. "Okay!"

"Great! Give me a high five," Laxus said, grinning.

He lifted a hand. Nori slapped his larger hand with her small hand, and a smile spread slowly across her face. "Then, I'm in?"

"You're in," Laxus assured her. "Now if you can transport us to my - excuse me, _our_ guild, then we can get you your guild mark."

"Not yet. We gotta go back to the Arena and help our guildmates," Nori said, grinning.

Laxus grinned back.

* * *

><p>"Mira! Get Hiroto. I'll take care of Ran," Erza said. "She needs some sense beaten into her."<p>

Mira nodded, grinning. It had been a while since they'd fought together. She'd enjoy this.

Erza strayed off to one side, forming eye contact with Ran. The girl flipped her long silver-and-green hair, grinning like a madwoman. Her eyes were wild.

_Time to get my revenge._

"Soo. The Titania. Y'know, you should've stayed back in the pizza parlour like a good girl. This is a game for the big kids. You could get hurt," Ran giggled.

Erza thought of the Grays and the Juvias. She closed her eyes and images flashed in her mind, memories of laughter, memories of love. Memories of pain. Memories of tough times, of fighting through storms, and always, always sticking together.

"You're wrong," she whispered.

"Hm?"

Erza opened her eyes. "You're wrong. You may think this is a game, but it isn't."

There was some silence from Ran. Erza heard a small sound.

Suddenly the silence was erased by wild laughter. Erza clamped shut her mouth as Ran shrieked with glee.

Eventually the laughter died down and Ran stared amusedly at Erza. Her eyes were wilder than before, yet there was something serious and deadly in them.

"Alright. If that's how you want it." Ran's eyes narrowed. "I'm not going to go easy on you."

"Just the way I like it," Erza replied, steadying herself.

Ran lifted a hand. Black liquid appeared out of nowhere, swirling and actually hissing. Erza could smell the scent of death leaking from its presence, increasing as the liquid swirled faster and faster and grew larger and larger.

"I call it my murder acid. What do you think?" Ran cooed.

Erza recalled Ran's words at their first meeting_. "I am an acid mage. My acid can burn and eat through metal and stuff, but I only use that kind when I want to kill someone. Since I'll be fighting against one of you, I'll use the temporary clog-your-magic kind. It's special acid that, instead of eating through your skin, it'll suck up all the magic it touches."_

She doubted Ran was wielding the temporary clog-your-magic kind.

"It's as evil as you are," Erza muttered. "Exquip: Heaven's Wheel Armor!"

The air around her began to shift. A flash of light appeared, and Erza felt the soothing, familiar sensation as she ex-quipped.

"Ooh, scary," Ran giggled.

"Blumenblatt!" Erza commanded. Immediately, numerous swords spun around her. Leaping from the ground, she charged at her opponent, swinging them in rapid motions so that light seemed to flash everywhere around her.

Ran smiled. Erza heard a loud, unpleasant sizzle coming from her swords and, with a sinking feeling in her stomach, instinctively jumped backwards, out of reach.

Erza glanced down._ My swords... That makes no sense. These swords are not normal metal and that acid shouldn't be eating through it! What in Fiore-_

"Ha! You're not as smart as you look, _Titania_," Ran sneered. "I told you my acid was called murder acid. It's a fantastic mixture of metal-eating and magic-clogging liquid. Even your special magic metal can't get in the way of my acid."

Erza scowled. _Dumb, dumb, dumb. Why didn't I think of that?_

"Acid Attack: Poison Rain!" shouted Ran triumphantly.

Suddenly a dark purple cloud gathered over Erza's head.

"Darnit," Erza hissed, moving quickly to the side.

But it wasn't quick enough. Erza was pelted with tiny balls of acid, splashing on impact. Miraculously, none of it hit her uncovered neck or waist - but it did attack her weaponry. Despaired, Erza watched as it began to eat through her armor and swords.

She hastily switched back into her normal clothes. Thankfully, the acid disappeared along with her Heaven's Wheel armor.

Ran snickered. "That's it, just keep trying. No matter how hard you try, you won't escape, fairy."

"I... I don't need to escape. I'd gladly sacrifice myself for my nakama," Erza replied with total honesty. _Gray, Juvia... Edo-Gray and Edo-Juvia... Wait for me!_

"Nakama," scoffed Ran. "That's baby stuff. Love, love, love. I'll die for you, I'll kill for you. What the heck is that? It makes me _sick_."

"We-ell, it doesn't make _me_ sick," Erza said, shrugging.

"Get your head out of the clouds, fairy!" Ran said bitterly. "One day someone you think is your friend will go betray you and you'll be left with nothing. Face it! _Nakama! Doesn't! exist!" _Ran shouted with pure madness. With each word, acid shot into the air like lava erupting from dozens of volcanoes scattered around where Ran was standing.

"I'm sorry," Erza said softly.

"Huh? Sorry for what? Are you insane?" Ran muttered.

"No. I'm sorry because you've obviously been through all that yourself. Love, trust, betrayal. But you know... I don't know what kind of rotten friendships you've gotten yourself in, but that's not real nakama. Nakama," Erza said softly, dreamily. "is about love. It's about caring for your friends and when you have rough times you stick together and fight through the storm."

_Natsu... Gray... Lucy... everyone..._

"I apologize, but I'm not going to go easy on you. I'm not sure right now exactly how to beat you, but I will find a way and I _will_ beat you. Because," Erza said with a smile. "I need my nakama."

Ran lost her sarcasm for a moment and looked on Erza with a surprised, almost admiring look. Her mouth opened, then closed. Then she recovered and quickly hid her feelings behind a wide smirk.

"Do you really think you're fast enough to dodge my acid attacks?"

Erza grimaced. She despised the girl's voice, dripping with pride and utter control. "_Do you really think you're fast enough to dodge my acid attacks?" _

"Wait a second..." Erza whispered. That was it!

"Are you done cowering? Come on, get up, _Titania_," Ran taunted.

"As you wish," Erza said with a grin. "Exquip: Flight Armor!"

A flash of light. The same, familiar sensation. _Ex-quip!_

There was the comforting sense of the swords in her grip.

_Immense speed._

"Sonic Claw!" she yelled, swooping toward Ran at full speed.

Ran screamed. She couldn't see. Attacks came from everywhere, slashing through her acid and pushing her backwards. As soon as it had begun, it was all over.

Gasping for air, Ran collapsed on her back. Her magic was spent. She couldn't get up.

Erza gazed down at her. Then she turned and walked away.

_First, I will help defeat Hiroto, and then... Gray and Juvia, Edo-Gray and Edo-Juvia... Please! Wait for me!_

* * *

><p><strong>Go Erza! I had a loot of fun writing this chapter... please tell me what u think ^.^<strong>


	28. Devil's Swindle

**Chapter 28: Devil's Swindle**

* * *

><p>Gray paced around the dim, dank room. It had been about an hour since he and his three fellow "prisoners" had learned of Fairy Tail's probable rescue team, but still, nothing was happening.<p>

"Gray-sama..."

He moved to where Juvia was sitting, hugging her knees, against a wall.

"Do you think they really came? Maybe we thought wrong," Juvia said worriedly.

He hugged her.

"Don't worry. Fairy Tail won't give up on us. So we shouldn't give up either."

"...To be honest, I really don't know, Juvia. I'm... scared," Gray whispered slowly. Then he chuckled. "What am I saying? I'm supposed to be a man. The hero."

"You are. At least to me," Juvia said, smiling. She snuggled closer. "Anyway, it's alright. I am too. And we still have hope. We can be scared but brave at the same time, right?"

"Right."

Gray smiled back. He was scared, but yes, he was brave. He would make sure that Juvia was safe. They _would_ get out.

He got up and walked over to Edo-Gray and Edo-Juvia, who had fallen asleep hugging each other.

"Wake up!" he hissed, shaking them both.

"Huh...?" the bluenette from Edolas mumbled sleepily.

"What's going on?" Edo-Gray muttered, lifting a hand to shadow his face from the glare of the dim light overhead.

Gray grinned at them. "We're escaping."

* * *

><p>-backtrack-<p>

_Before Erza beat Ran..._

Mira took a deep breath, then turned and faced Hiroto, who was waiting at the far end of the Arena. With a few hundred metres between them, they stared, each quietly sizing up their opponent.

"So..." Hiroto began, shocking Mira, who hadn't expected him to speak.

"Yes?"

Hiroto grinned that creepy grin of his. "You think you can take me down, uhm?"

Mira bit back the load of retorts piling up in her mind.

"I don't think, I know," she said finally.

Hiroto snickered. "The Demon. I hardly think you could beat me, but... let's begin, shall we?"

"It's about time," Mira muttered. She closed her eyes and briefly thought of the Grays and the Juvias.

She opened her eyes again and smiled, the air around her beginning to crackle with demonic magic.

Hiroto lifted his head slightly, almost amused.

_This should be interesting, _he thought.

* * *

><p>Mei gripped the armrests on her chair, leaning close to the screen.<p>

"Oh. My. Fudgin. Cupcake!" she squealed. "Mira verses Hiroto-san? There's no way Mira will win."

_I will wait patiently. When HIroto wins he will definitely see the loser that Strauss girl is._

She sat back with a smile on her face.

* * *

><p>"Plate? Check. Broken glass? Check. Well... I'd say we've got everything we need," Gray said triumphantly.<p>

They'd scoured for random useful items scattered around the dungeon room and had come up with a piece of broken glass, a few strips of tattered cloth that was probably coloured white a long time ago, and a long piece of wood that had probably belonged to the leg of a table before it was discarded in a pile in the corner of the room.

"Hey, I hear footsteps!" hissed Edo-Juvia. "Get in your positions, everyone."

Edo-Gray moved into the place behind where the door would be if the door was opened. Edo-Juvia stood in the centre of the room. Gray and Juvia scooted over to huddled together a corner of the room, with Gray holding Juvia in his arms.

"Ready?" Gray whispered to Juvia.

Juvia swallowed and nodded bravely.

"I don't want to do this to you," Gray said.

"It's alright. Hurry up before I change my mind," Juvia said nervously.

Gray took a deep breath, then lifted the shard of glass and cut Juvia on the palm of her left hand. "Oww!" Juvia exclaimed. Almost immediately, blood spilled from her palm.

Gray squeezed her hand. More blood.

The door clanged open. A young girl, about fifteen years old, walked in with a tray in her hands.

"Ohayo, prisoners! I have brought some food for-EH?!" The tray in her hands dropped to the ground with a loud, clatter.

Edo-Juvia was squeezing her tightly. "Oh, sweet maiden, please come to our aid! My kindred spirit has been wounded and may die from the injury if you don't help...!"

"What the heck are you talking about? And GET OFF ME!" screamed the girl, frantically pushing Edo-Juvia away.

Gray sighed. He got up and moved toward the girl.

"I apologize, my friend here is a little bit ecstatic. I..." Gray blushed a little and gazed at the girl, on full romantic mode. "I'm sorry to bother you but, the one I love accidentally cut herself and she has something like haemophilia. She... she could die if she isn't treated right," Gray dropped to a quiet, hesitant whisper.

"Ah..."

Gray looked up and grasped the girl by the hands. "Please! Help her! I beg you..."

The girl blushed furiously. "Y-yes, of course! Please follow me!"

She waited for all four of them to stand up and then walked out into the corridor. Gray was right behind her, carrying Juvia bride-style.

Edo-Juvia winked at Edo-Gray. "So far, so good!"

Edo-Gray grinned at her.

As soon as they were up on the main floor, Edo-Gray made his move. In a split second, he was holding the girl in a strangling position.

"Don't move or shout or I will strangle you. Now, where are the Fairy Tail people?" he growled in a rather creepy voice that Juvia and Gray didn't even know he could do. Edo-Juvia just smirked proudly.

The girl's eyes were wide and full of fear. "Th-the A-a-arena... please d-don't hurt me!" she squealed.

Edo-Gray glanced up at Gray. Gray nodded.

"Where's the Arena?" Edo-Gray continued in his bad-boy voice.

"That way," the girl said, lifting one trembling finger to point. "Straight ahead."

"Thanks!" Edo-Gray said cheerfully. Then he quickly jabbed her in the back of her neck with his index finger. The girl collapsed on the floor with a sleepy look on her face.

"C'mon, let's get a move on," Edo-Gray said.

The foursome ran through the hallways.

* * *

><p>Blood ran down her face. Panting, Mira winced as a sharp pulse of pain kept coming back, repeating with every heartbeat. <em>A rest... I need a rest...<em>

_No. I can't give up. I... need to keep fighting...!_

Hiroto laughed. It was a crazed, victorious sound.

He turned suddenly serious, eyes dark and emotionless, black-and-purple strands of hair falling across his face as he began to walk, slowly, toward Mira.

"Demon. Someone once told me it was the bringer of death," he said softly. A flicker of a smile. "Now the ice dragon will take its place." He stopped a few feet away from her.

"Hiroto the demon. Suits you," Mira retorted, wiping blood off her face.

"Still insisting on being tough?" Hiroto muttered. He raised a hand and instantly a hand made of cold, clear ice wrapped itself around her neck.

"Agh...!" Mira struggled and finally pried the hand off her neck using a dissolving demonic magic solution.

"Ice dragon's roar!" Hiroto yelled.

_Darnit... right after I lost my breath, too...!_

Mira could only feel her body lifted from the impact and thrown backwards. Cold air and icy tornadoes died down.

"Satan Soul!" she muttered, but nothing happened. _In the name of Fiore-_

"Run out of magic already?" Hiroto snickered.

_What the- seriously!?_

Oh. Fudgeit, he was right. There wasn't any time to recover after the string of attacks Hiroto had used when she was still trying to breathe. If only...

_Of course! If there isn't any time then I'll just make time...!_

It had been over a decade since she'd used this little trick since she'd beaten almost all her opponents ever since then.

"Devil's Swindle!" she murmured, grinning madly.

"What the heck does that mean?" Hiroto laughed, confident and taunting. "Some kind of magic trick?"

"How did you know?" Mira said cheerfully, feeling a delicious, powerful, overwhelming sensation clearing her mind and strengthening her body. The pain washed away, the cuts and bruises healed. She could feel the magic flooding her senses. She and her demonic, magical side were one. She closed her eyes and felt at the power stirring up inside her.

"Mmm, you really think you stand a chance against a demon?" she said softly.

"What?!" Hiroto said, aghast. "What the heck happened?"

_I can feel that magic swirling around her, attracted like magnets. She's definitely stronger than before, and all the marks I made are gone...?!_

Mira opened her eyes.

Another figure joined her side, clothes tattered but strong nevertheless.

"Hey, Mira," Erza said, grinning despite the injuries.

"It's about time," Mira answered with a sunshine smile, totally comfortable with her demonic form.

_Darnit...! _

"Fine," Hiroto said with a sigh, but inside, his heart stirred with excitement. A smile crept onto his face, even darker than the demon's. "If it's like this, I guess I'll have to take them both down."

* * *

><p><strong>ano~ hiroto is so evil ...but i sorta like it <strong>

**un special thanks to:**

**AliceCullen3**

** bobobear2657**

**Bob Bandicoot**

**AurelieBonhoffe****n**

**and all you readers! please keep reviewing!**


	29. Hiroto's Past

**Chapter 29: Hiroto's Past**

**Yeah... haven't disclaimed it in a while so I'll just put this in here: **

**Disclaimer: No I dont own the best guild in the world... aww well**

**Anyway please enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Mei leaned forward, eyes wide. <em>Erza beat Ran? No way!<em>

_Ran... my best friend... that scarlet-haired girl beat up my friend...!_

Mei frowned and shook her head.

She wasn't allowed to be sad. The way of the Cobras was not caring. All that "nakama" stuff was junk. Ran could take care of herself. They could be friends, but there was no reason to risk her life like those stupid Fairies outside, right...?

Anyway, it was true. Now, after Erza beat Ran, Erza and Mira would fight her Hiroto.

And then they would get pounded by Hiroto for the silly sake of their friends. How far would they go to save their nakama?

In a way, Mei felt jealous. They had so much; it was plain to see. Erza and that pink-haired guy seemed like a nice match. Laxus and Mira was interesting, too... but the most obvious pairs were the hostages. Gray and Juvia, and Edo-Gray and Edo-Juvia. She turned and looked at another screen, the screen that showed the dungeon where the four Fairy Tail hostages were being kept.

She didn't see them. They weren't there.

But she didn't panic. The camera didn't cover every single inch of the room so she suspected that they were hiding in the corners. They were probably sleeping or having a lovey-dovey "if-something-happens-i-just-want-you-to-know-i-lo ve-you" or whatever time.

She sighed dreamily. Lucky them! _It'd be so romantic if me and Hiroto were in a scene like that! Near certain death, and gazing into his eyes while he holds me close..._

A brief crackle of electricity.

_Probably another radio intermission_, Mei thought half-consciously, her other half daydreaming about her and Hiroto's wedding.

Those happened sometimes. Occasionally a radio would budge into their area and disturb the cameras in the camera room.

"...Careful..."

***crackle***

"nakama..."

***crrrkcle***

"baubles..."

Mei suddenly snapped out of her delusions. As she leaned forward, cold sweat broke out on her forehead. She listened, suddenly unable to breathe.

Her face paled as the crackling words became clearer.

* * *

><p>The air in the Arena was tense. Beating hearts, rustling clothing, a slight, moaning breeze. The sounds and feelings swept through the space, hot and cold at the same time.<p>

Hiroto was standing, feet slightly apart, shoulders back, head tilted just so. A small smile adorned his lips. He was relaxed, but years of experience taught him to be alert, ready to act at the slightest movement. Only a little of his energy had been spent fighting Mira.

Erza had forced herself to remain upright, feet firmly planted on the dusty ground. By now the Arena was so worn of the fights that dirt and uprooted weeds covered the grass. Bits of bright green poked out from beneath the scattered soil.

Her scarlet hair was askew, her clothes dirty and tattered from her fight with Ran. Blood streamed down her arms and legs. Her eyes were narrowed.

Mira was totally refreshed after her "Devil's Swindle" trick. Her hair, silky smooth, tumbled down her back, floating gently in the breeze. Her clothes had also been cleaned by the magic, crisp and comfortable. Her eyes were dark and serious, but a small smirk was on her lips.

Erza was the first to move. She took a step forward, crunching the plants underneath her feet.

"Blumenblatt!"

With a blur of light, she transformed and raced toward Hiroto, two swords in her hands.

"Ice Dragon: Shell!" Hiroto commanded.

White and blue light flashed between Erza and Hiroto, dimming to an unearthly glow. Cold spears jabbed out of an ice sphere, a freezing shell that encased the area around Hiroto.

Erza didn't hesitate. Her swords sliced forward, lashing the shell. A series of cracks spread across the surface and a few pieces of ice fell of the tips, but the shell stayed.

Instinctively, Erza leaped backwards.

A burst of light, and the shell dissolved.

Hiroto stepped out.

"Well done, Titania," he said cheerfully. "You actually hit my ice."

Erza and Mira looked at each other and gagged.

"Proud much," Erza muttered.

Hiroto laughed. "I like to think _confident_. I've only lost once."

He paused, his face turning cold. "I was two years old when it happened."

* * *

><p><em>-flashback-<em>

* * *

><p><em>It lay, curled up and limp, on the ground. <em>

_The boy leaned over and put his hand on the dead cat. The body was turning cold, fast._

_He glanced down at his fist again. His hand still tingled from the cold, awesome power of the ice magic._

_He had gotten it when he was exactly one year old. That day, his parents had held a big picnic in the forest. _

_He was clever and he was curious. He wanted to explore. So during his naptime, while his parents were entertaining the many guests, he slipped out of his pretend nap and journey into the forest by himself. On his way he had tripped over a root and face planted into a puddle._

_A very cold puddle of strange, glowing water._

_And then when he got up again the puddle was gone and a feeling of cold, freezing electricity pounded through his veins._

_Anyway, ever since birth he wasn't a very social child. The only one he liked was his mother. To him she was the most wonderful person in the world. _

_But he disliked other children and hated his father because he cheated on his mother and beat her up._

_Anyway, he was an extremely smart child. And curious. And evil. _

_Which was why today, exactly one year later, on his second birthday, he had taken his dad's favourite pet cat and shot an ice needle straight through its fuzzy heart._

_So. This was what it felt like to kill a something. _

"_Hiroto, come inside!" yelled a woman's voice._

_Mother. _

"_Fudge!" he mumbled, being a two-year-old expert in the English language. "What am I going to do with this thing?"_

_He didn't care about his dad getting disappointed, because he didn't care about his dad at all. He just cared about his mother getting disappointed in him. And even worse, if his dad found out about his favorite dead cat, then he would start beating his mother up. _

Dang that man!_ he cursed silently._

"_Hiroto! Get in here!"_

"_..."_

_Hiroto took one last look at the dead cat. "I'll take care of it later," he promised himself._

_Then he turned, and hurried to the house._

* * *

><p><em>The door slammed.<em>

_Hiroto looked up from the table only to see the crazed look of his father coming into the house._

He's drunk again_, Hiroto noticed._

_And then he noticed the thing in his father's fist._

_Fudge...!_

"_MACE!" roared his father._

_Hiroto's mother came into the room, nervous. "Yes...?"_

"_LOOK AT THIS!"_

"_Ah... y-your cat."_

Uh oh_, Hiroto thought, gulping._

"_It's dead, Mace. Dead! Did you do this?!"_

"_N-no..."_

"_LIAR!"_

**Slap!**

_His mother stumbled backwards, shocked._

"_Stop!" Hiroto yelled, jumping up from the table.. "I did it. I killed your fudging cat!"_

"_Hiroto?!" his mother exclaimed, eyes wide._

"_You..." His father turned and headed towards him._

"_No! No, punish me. Don't hurt him!" shrieked his mother, planting herself between them_

_Hiroto watched in horror as father swiftly swiped his gun from his pocket and shot her in the head._

_She crumpled to the floor._

"_NO!" Hiroto shouted, springing forward._

_But then he noticed his mother lift one finger. She shook it. A warning._

"_Don't do it," she croaked._

_Hiroto fell back, struggling. Should he help his mother? But it was too late. One look and it was obvious that she was going to die. There was too much blood._

"_Hiroto..."_

_Too much blood..._

_He turned towards her._

_Her eyes, full of warmth, gazed at him. "Take care of yourself, okay?"_

"_What are you saying?" Hiroto sobbed._

_She painstakingly lifted one hand and held it against his cheek._

_Hiroto reached up to hold it tight. He shuddered. Her hand was cold. Very, very cold._

"_Goodbye, Hiroto darling."_

_The cold hand slipped through his fingers and fell to the floor._

"_No... Mother, wake up! This isn't funny! Wake... up..."_

_His sobs turned to wailing._

_Then he was knocked over by a hard kick in his side. He forced his eyes upward._

_His father towered over him. His expression was menacing._

"_You murderer!" hissed Hiroto._

_Before he knew what he was doing, his hands had turned to fists._

_He struck his father in every way he knew how._

_And his father struck back._

_Minutes later, blood streaked both their faces._

_Hiroto was panting heavily. His father was panting as well, but not as much._

"_You... you're two years old and you're still standing?!" his father muttered in disbelief. Then his lips curled upwards in a smirk. "But you won't last any longer."_

_Suddenly he lashed forward with a series of kicks and punches, and Hiroto was forced down on his back._

_NO!_

_He hoped against hope that his father would suddenly collapse, that he wouldn't punch him or anything._

_But of course it still came._

_As he blacked out, the last thing he heard was the sneering voice of his father, saying, "Remember this, foolish little boy: In this world, only the strong survive."_

* * *

><p><em>From then on, Hiroto was treated as a petty servant, tossed around by his violent father. <em>

_By day, he was a slave._

_But at night, he would wait until he heard the snores of his father in the next room, and then he would slip out through his window and go to the forest._

_And then he would train._

_Two years passed, until it was his fourth birthday._

_Just like the year before, he didn't get a gift from his dad. Only his first and second birthdays had been nice ones. That was because of his mother._

_That night had been the one Hiroto had chosen. _

_His father was going to come back soon from his nightly scavenges at the club. _

_Hiroto was supposed to be asleep already, but he was awake, just like he was secretly awake every night for the past two years._

_He was waiting in his father's room._

_Suddenly the front door creaked open. Off-key whistling could be heard, muffled by the door of his father's bedroom. A sake jug was swiped off the table and crashed to the floor. Hiroto could hear his father's swearing._

_After what seemed like hours, the footsteps became louder and the door to the bedroom opened, letting a shaft of light spill into the room._

_The light washed over Hiroto._

_His father stopped short._

"_What are you doing here?! You're supposed to be in bed, you good-for-nothing son!" barked the dirty, unshaven man._

_Hiroto said nothing. He simply gazed at the man in front of him. This man wasn't his father. He didn't _have_ a father. Ever since birth this guy was a fiend. Ever since two years ago, this guy was a murderer._

"_Are you searching my room? Looking for money?"_

_Hiroto hated him._

"_Trying to steal from me? You're just a dirty thief, aren't you?"_

_His father moved towards him. "I'll teach you a-"_

"_Ice Dragon's Roar!"_

_A flash of light, a burst of blue._

* * *

><p><em>The next morning, a plump lady, the tax collector of the town, knocked on the door of the house.<em>

"_Hello?"_

_There was no answer._

_She cautiously poked the door, and it swung open._

_Slowly, her high heels clicking, she entered the house. The living room was empty; so was the kitchen. No one was in the bathroom. She looked in one bedroom. It contained a small bed and nothing else. She exited the bedroom and walked into another room._

_She took one look and fainted._

* * *

><p><em>Hours later, crowds of police had swarmed onto the property, investigating the death. No one could understand what had happened.<em>

_Among the buzz, a dark haired child suddenly appeared and walked toward the police._

_One of the chief officers noticed him._

"_Hey, kid, get outta here. It's a crime scene. No kids allowed!"_

_The child looked up at him with cold, expressionless eyes._

_Something about the kid made the officer shiver. There was a dark aura surrounding the child._

_But how was that possible? He was just a kid, about four years old. _

"_Okay, come on kid. Time go go home-"_

_The child lift up both hands and uttered a string of words._

_Suddenly every single police officer was encased in ice. Their hearts frozen, their mouths slightly apart in shock and disbelief. _

_A few normal citizens who had been walking by noticed the incident and immediately called the emergency._

_By the time more police arrived, it was too late. The officers were dead, and the murderer had disappeared, never to be seen again._

* * *

><p><em>-back to present time-<em>

* * *

><p>Erza and Mira were speechless.<p>

"F-four year old murderer?!" exclaimed Mira finally. "You killed your own dad!"

"He deserved it," Hiroto replied hotly.

Erza gripped her swords. "I won't argue with that. I would do the same. But those officers were innocent. How many people have you killed... how many lives have you stolen?"

"Too little," Hiroto said. "This world is crazy. Drugs, alcohol, gambling. Everyone is addicted to something. This is what I will do, fairies. I will kill you and your friends, all except for Gray Fullbuster and Juvia Loxar. I will use their powers combined with mine as a _Triple Raid_. Using that, I will wipe out all the people I hate and create my own world, free of addiction. I will be the lord of a new era!" he shouted.

"T-Triple Raid?!" Erza stammered.

Mira said, "But Raids can only be between people who have a connection. Y'know, like the Unison Raid... it always happens between friends or lovers."

The ice dragon snickered. "Simple. You know that Mei girl? She has Wash magic that can brainwash them and connect our minds."

"Raids aren't powerful enough to destroy that many cities," argued Mira.

Hiroto smirked. "Ever heard of Crystal Cannon?"

Mira looked blank, but Erza paled.

"No... no!" she whispered.

Mira glanced at her. "What is it?"

"Crystal Cannon is a cannon that you can put your magic into. When that happens, the magic increases by one million times its power. The only things it can't destroy are dragons," Erza said anxiously.

"Yes. But there are two problems. One, the power can only be used by mages with powers involving water properties."

"That's why you need Gray and Juvia!" realized Mira. Cold sweat broke out on her forehead.

"Clever girl," Hiroto smiled. "Titania, you know what the second problem is, don't you?"

"Yes," Erza said. "The second problem is that Crystal Cannon was destroyed by Acnologia several centuries ago."

"So your conclusion is...?" Hiroto smiled slyly.

There was a brief silence, and then the scarlet-haired knight suddenly gasped.

"Don't tell me-?!" Erza looked at Hiroto, eyes wide.

"That's right." Hiroto broke into a wide grin. "I made my own: Ice Crystal Cannon!"

"But thousands of innocent people will be killed!"

"So what? A hundred lives will be sacrificed for a thousand more. It's for the greater good. They should be honored," Hiroto answered.

"We'll definitely stop you!" hissed Erza, eyes narrowed.

"I'd like to see you try, fairies," Hiroto said softly. "But I must warn you; I'll win this one too. Victory is too sweet to let go."

_I will win this, and when I do, the world will see justice, _he told himself. _Never again will I taste defeat._

_Never again._

* * *

><p><strong>ano... hope you liked it~ please read and review ;)<strong>


	30. The Battle Continues

**Chapter 30: The Battle Continues**

* * *

><p><strong>Hii my faithful followers! I'm sorry for not updating for soo long Anyway, so here's your new chapter... Enjoy! <strong>

* * *

><p>"Ice Dragon: Wing Lash!" Hiroto commanded.<p>

The air turned violent. Freezing wind whipped the girls' faces as Hiroto raced toward them at such astonishing speed that for a moment Erza and Mira were, well, frozen.

Then they blinked out of their shock and moved.

"Satan Soul!" shouted Mira.

With a bright flash of light, her outfit changed to her Satan Soul attire, an exposing, demonic-looking outfit. She swooped up to the sky to avoid the attack.

"Black Wing Armor!" Erza yelled.

With a flash of light, the scarlet-haired knight transformed into the dark, familiar, almost demonic armor.

"Moon Flash!"

She slashed forward with flames lighting her eyes.

_Please let this work...!_

It all happened so quickly.

Hiroto moved toward Erza, Ice Wing Lash cutting the air.

Erza rushed past Hiroto, swords swiftly slicing her opponent's magic.

Suddenly Erza was on the other side, and Hiroto was left standing there, awestruck.

Erza's armor had a crack in one side. She quickly requipped to her normal attire.

"Good job," Mira whispered.

Erza nodded.

Hiroto looked down and saw his hands were bleeding. A long, scarlet gash ran from his forearm to his wrists.

He turned, eyes dark. Pure evil.

"You...!" he hissed, arms trembling.

But before he could charge at Erza, Mira stepped up.

"Darkness Magic: Soul Extinction!"

Immediately a large, glowing, _living_ sphere of ink-black magic formed in her hands, increasing in strength and size as they watched.

Hiroto leaped backwards, knowing full well what it would do to him.

A giant beam of purple and black light blasted the area he had been standing in just a moment before.

"Impressive, Titania. First time my blood has been drawn in years. But I'd expected more from the Demon," Hiroto said, casually wiping his bloody hands on a pillar of ice (that he'd conjured out of nowhere).

Mira's face darkened.

"Fairy Tail must be a guild full of idiots," Hiroto continued, chuckling.

Now you could feel the dark aura around the two strongest females of Fairy Tail.

"You can insult me. You can hurt me. But I will _not_ let you damage the name of Fairy Tail!" thundered Erza. "Flame Empress Armor: _Flame Slash!_"

"Your flames cannot melt my ice," snickered Hiroto. "Ice Dragon's Roar!"

A tornado of ice stormed the air, hurtling toward Erza.

True to his word, Erza and Mira (who was hovering just slightly above and behind Erza) were blown backwards, Erza's flames extinguished.

"C-cold," whispered Mira, getting up. Her exposed skin was dashed with bruises, although her demonic outfit helped cushion everywhere else.

Erza totally ignored the freezing cold. Her eyes were wide as she picked herself up and ran toward the dragonslayer again.

"Just drop already," Hiroto muttered.

Their footsteps thundered through the hallways.

"That dang girl! She lied to us," hissed Gray.

"Yeah. We're obviously lost," muttered Edo-Juvia.

The four of them stopped to catch their breath.

Gray knelt to the ground and slammed his fist into the marble floor. The impact shattered the floor around his fist.

"Where is that damn Arena?!" he shouted.

"Gray-sama..."

Gray turned to see Juvia looking at him, a tinge of pink on her face.

"Sorry. I'm just a little frustrated."

Juvia nodded and sat down to give him a hug.

They sat like that for a few minutes. Then Gray looked up. "What the... W-where did Edo-Gray and Edo-Juvia go?!"

The two of them quickly got up and looked around the hallway.

Suddenly footsteps echoed through the passage.

Three figures came into view.

"Surge!" Gray said.

"Edo-Juvia!" Juvia said.

"And... who the heck is that?" Gray asked. The third person was a random worker who Edo-Gray was just dragging around. He was unconscious.

"A hostage that we captured!" Edo-Juvia exclaimed, running past them.

"We went to find information," Edo-Gray explained, gasping out of breath. "We knocked around this guy and he finally told us where the Arena is. Anyway, it's right down here!"

He passed them, too.

Gray and Juvia blinked and hurried after them.

* * *

><p><strong><em>gomen, this chapter's a little short so I promise the next one will be longer ^_^<em>**

**_Please R&R!_**


	31. Whirl-Wings

**Chapter 31: Whirl-Wings**

_Hi everyone! Sorry for not updating for such a long time! Well, here ya go~ Hope you like it ^_^_

* * *

><p>"I think I've got the hang of it," Laxus said.<p>

Nori snickered, leaning against a tall jungle tree which made her seem tiny. But there was no mistaking the strong glint in her eye - the sign of a survivor. "Are you sure? Whirl-Wings isn't something normal people can master in a day, let alone on the spur of the moment."

"Yeah, yeah, well I'm not a normal person. I'm a dragon slayer. And I've already had experience flying with my Lightning Body technique," Laxus grinned, getting up from the log he was sitting on and stretching.

Nori and Laxus standing in a clearing in the jungle, about to start heading back to Cobra territory. They were going to get there using Nori's Whirl-wings technique. Nori had just finished teaching Laxus how to use the technique - how to fly.

Basically there were two types of Whirl-Wings - "Heart" and "Self-Steer".

Heart was what Nori had used to get herself and Laxus away from the Cobras - both of them were picked up by the magic and zoomed all the way to a destination Nori chose, using the quickest path possible through the sky. It was called Heart because it was the place her heart chose to go without thinking.

Then there was Self-Steer. Basically, Nori had explained, you were given magical wings and you had to steer yourself to wherever you wanted to go using your mind and your body. That was what they were going to use now.

"Whatever," Nori said. "I'll start the magic now, then. Ready?"

Laxus nodded.

Nori took in a deep breath and stretched out her arms, palms facing the earth. "Whirl-wings."

Bright, emerald-green sparks shot out of the earth, sparkling with hints of silver and gold. Laxus watched as the sparks streamed out of the ground, and suddenly gave a shout as they shot towards him, sinking into his heart.

Nori laughed.

"What the..." Laxus stared down at his sparks had simply disappeared.

Suddenly he felt himself lifted into the air. "Hey!" he shouted angrily, trying to get back down. He struggled for a moment and finally found a position where he could sort of hover.

He glanced up to see Nori hovering a few feet above him, a smug smile on her face. "Amateur," she teased. She spun so that her back was facing him. "See? Wings!"

Sure enough, shimmering green-and-silver wings, made of magic, sprouted from her small back.

Laxus blinked and, slowly, turned his head so that he could see his back.

Gold.

"The magic went into your heart and basically assesses you, including your magic and size. So now you have custom-made wings! Just for today, of course," Nori added. "Mine are green and silver cuz those are my main magic colours."

Laxus grinned. The wings were a little too shimmery for his liking, but they were shaped like lightning bolts and that was damn cool.

"C'mon, hurry up! We don't have all day," Nori said impatiently. "You said you knew how to fly - so far you're getting a big fat F for FAIL."

Laxus ignored her and instead tried to recall what Nori had just told him a few minutes ago.

"It's just like in _Peter Pan_," she had explained. "Tilt your body and tell your mind where to go and your wings will move for you - you have to use your body to turn and steer though. And you can do tricks, too, if you're a good flier, but I doubt you'll be able to do it, _amateur._"

Laxus focused.

_Tell your mind to fly and your wings will push you up... Tilt your body to change direction, and voila! _

"Figure 8!" Laxus whooped triumphantly, shooting into the sky. He grinned down at Nori, who stuck out her lower lip.

"So? Do I get an A, Nori-sensei?" Laxus smirked.

"Yeah, an A for a-hole."

She zoomed past, shoving him out of the way, her laugh ringing through the air. Laxus noticed that when she flew, green and silver sparks trailed after her and disappeared into the air.

He flew after her, grinning as tiny sparks of lightning crackled and evaporated into the air as his wings propelled him forward, leaving a trail of golden sparks in his wake.

"Awesome!"

"Hurry up, slowpoke~~" Nori called, a distance away. "Stop fooling around or we'll never get there."

Laxus sighed and flew faster.

* * *

><p>Natsu and Yori were currently running through the halls of the Cobra territory, looking for Nori and Laxus.<p>

"Wait up!" Yori panted. _Yeesh, doesn't this guy ever run out of energy?_

Natsu paused to wait for Yori. "Just wondering but maybe they went somewhere outside?"

Yori rolled his eyes. "That's what I was trying to tell you ten minutes ago! But you just bolted away so I had to follow."

"..."

Yori sighed. "Okay, I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this but... Where's your pet?"

"Y'mean Happy?"

"Yeah, the blue cat."

Natsu scratched his head. "I think he ran off somewhere to go confront that Ice Dragon idiot's Exceed, the Storm guy. And he's not my pet, he's my friend."

"Okay, then can you find him? Dragonslayers have a heightened sense of smell, right?"

Natsu nodded. "Yeah, but why?"

"Cuz we're gonna need transportation. You can go get Happy, and Storm can fly me, cuz even though he tries to act all tough like his master Hiroto, Storm is a huge romantic so I think I'll be able to persuade him if I, uh, tell him about Nori. So can you try and smell 'em out?"

Natsu nodded and sniffed. And sniffed some more. And took a step and sniffed again. Finally a wide, freakish grin stretched across his face, exposing his incisors. "That way!" he said, pointing.

"Alright. Let's go!"

* * *

><p>"Damn you, "Erza hissed, pulling herself up from the ground. Her dirt-stained clothes were ripped to shreds, barely hanging onto her shoulders and hips. Her arms and legs were streaked with dust, mingling with her blood, caking her already-scarlet tangled hair.<p>

"Still trying to fight?" Hiroto laughed. He smirked. "Maybe you're a masochist. There have been quite a few girls who've liked me in the past. Annoying little bitches... I took care of them, though. It's one of the drawbacks of having a face like mine," he said, the corners of his mouth curving into a smile.

Erza shuddered. It was obvious what Hiroto meant when he said he "took care of them."

Beside her, on the ground, Mira coughed and spit out a mouthful of dirt and rocks. She glared at Hiroto's smug smile.

"Ooh, scary. I don't suppose you're a tsundere?" Hiroto teased. He sounded relaxed, but Erza guessed he was just trying to stay calm and analyze his opponents.

Erza glanced at Mira.

Mira nodded.

Erza sighed. "Alright, we might as well give it a try. But can't you do it?"

The takeover mage shook her head. "No way! You're way prettier than I am!"

"Yeah, but you already did it once, so it's fine if you do it again, isn't it?" Erza persisted.

"That time it was Sherry's fault. It's not like I chose to do it!"

"Well I don't like stripping," Erza said unconvincingly.

"Pssh, you've done it in front of Natsu and Gray, haven't you?" Mira snorted.

"That guy's our enemy! And I-I'm a virgin!" Erza stammered, turning as red as her hair.

"Um, what are you two..." Hiroto stared at them with an awkward, lopsided grin on his face.

"So am I!" Mira began to say, but stopped.

Erza raised an eyebrow, giving her a funny look. "One word: F-R-"

"ERZA! Yeesh, d-don't say it out loud!" Mira blushed. "And a-anyway, that's the point. I'm already, uh, going out so I can't do it. It'll be like cheating on him. Plus, you're sexier than I am!"

Hiroto covered up his laughter by pretending to cough. "What the heck are you two..."

_They're not serious, are they? Mebbe it's, like, some kind of trap to catch me off guard or something? But that's not gonna work. I already told them I'm not interested in stupid things like romance. I'm not a weak lovebird like Nori and Yori._

_Well, since they're distracted, I guess I'll use this opportunity to attack._

He grinned. There was still one last weapon up his sleeve...


	32. Pepperoni Pizza

**Chapter 32: Pepperoni Pizza**

"Pepperoni, please!" Storm said cheerfully. "With sardines and a lotta extra tomato sauce." As an afterthought, he added, "And anchovies."

"Aye sir!" Happy agreed.

"Okay, coming right up!" the blue-aproned waiter said politely and disappeared.

Happy grinned at Storm.

_ABOUT AN HOUR AGO..._

Happy hovered through the hallways at a slow, casual pace. He was following Natsu and Yori to the pizza parlor when suddenly someone came up from behind him and tugged at his tail.

Happy yelped as he lost balance and flopped to the floor.

"Shh!" Storm hissed, swooping down.

"Storm?!" Happy exclaimed, surprised. What would this Exceed want with him?

"Yeah. C'mon, follow me!" Storm turned and bolted down the hallway in the opposite direction that Yori and Natsu were going.

Confused and stunned, Happy glanced at Natsu, then hurried after Storm.

Storm zipped through a series of hallways and corridors. Happy was dying to ask what was going on but it was all he could do to simply keep up with the energetic Exceed.

Finally Storm soared through an arcing doorway and into a bright green courtyard. He settled by a bubbling stream running through the courtyard.

Happy came to a stop beside him.

"Uh, Storm?"

"Yeah?"

"...What are we doing here?"

"..."

Storm sighed. "What do you think about Hiroto?"

Happy blinked. "Uhh... He seems sort of mean. And proud. And powerful. And really really creepy-"

"How strong is Natsu?"

Happy grinned. "Natsu is the strongest mage in the world!"

"...I see." Storm fell silent.

_Did I say something wrong?_ Happy thought.

"Happy..."

"Aye?" the blue cat squeaked.

"I think you and all your friends should get out of here," Storm said suddenly.

Happy stared. "What?"

"You'll never be able to defeat Hiroto. He's really strong. Your Mira girl is gonna get slaughtered," Storm said seriously.

"Wait wait wait - HIROTO?! I thought the Boss was that Mei girl!" Happy gaped.

"Yeah, well, that's a stupid scenario Hiroto decided to do for some reason or another. The main point here is that none of you Fairies are gonna be able to defeat the Cobras."

"But I just told you - Natsu is even stronger than Hiroto!" Happy insisted. "And besides, we're supposed to be your enemies, aren't we? Why should you care if we get hurt - which we're not, but I'm just saying..."

Storm winced. "I'm not heartless, you know. I'm actually a romantic at heart."

"..."

"Stop staring at me like that. All I'm saying is that I don't see why you and your guildmates had to interfere in our plans and get beaten up like this."

"What do you mean?" Happy said, scratching his fuzzy blue head.

"What I mean is, I'll help you and all your friends escape. As long as you stay in your little guild and don't mess up Hiroto's plans, you won't get hurt. It works both ways - our plans are successful and you guy keep your lives and I won't feel as guilty. So, do we have a deal?"

Happy scowled. "No way!"

"What?!" Storm's eyes widened. "You're all gonna die if you refuse!"

"How do you know? I told you Natsu is strong enough to beat Hiroto and I'm not gonna go back on my word," Happy declared, puffing out his chest proudly.

Storm stared at him. Then he started to laugh.

"W-what?" Happy said, surprised. _Do I have a fish stain on my face or something?_

"Nothing. I don't know if you're right or not, but..." he smiled. "I guess I can't change your mind, can I?"

"Not in a million years!" Happy agreed.

"Alright then." Storm sighed, then smiled. "Let's go have some fun then. There's this super-duper place I know where we can catch the best fish EVER, and then I'll bring you to the Cobras' private pizza parlor..."

So now that's where they were - in the pizza parlor, totally oblivious to what was going on outside (i.e. the fights). Well, not completely oblivious - when they'd flown in, they'd seen Jay K lying on the floor all beaten up, but since Jay K had insisted he was okay (while groaning and clutching his stomach) and a bunch of other waiters had come over to help bandage him up, Happy and Storm decided that they would just ignore the incident and instead went over to a booth and ordered their pepperoni pizza with sardines and anchovies and extra tomato sauce.

"Oh, right. Do you want a drink?" Storm asked Happy.

Happy thought for a moment. "What do they have?"

"Anything and everything!" Storm grinned. "Even Fish Maw Milkshakes, if you really want one."

"Okay, I'll have a Fish Maw Milkshake!" Happy said, wondering what it tasted like.

Storm waved the blue-aproned waiter over and ordered a Fish Maw Milkshake for Happy and a Crushed Lemon Martini for himself.

As they sipped their drinks five minutes later, waiting for the pizza to arrive, Jay K dragged himself over to their booth and plopped down beside Storm.

"Hey, Storm!"

"Hey yourself," Storm replied. "Shouldn't you be working, if you're healed already?"

"I'm alive enough to walk around but I'm still wounded enough that I don't have to flip dough!" Jay K grinned, brushing a dark bang from his forehead.

"Sounds like an excuse to skip chores. What happened to you anyway?" Storm asked.

"I had a run-in with that Titania chick. Yeesh, that girl sure punches hard," he said with a lopsided grin. He turned to Happy. "You're the Fairy Exceed, right? What's your name?"

"Happy," Happy said. "And I know how you feel. Erza can be creepy," he added, shivering.

Jay K laughed. "I like you already. Ouch, laughing hurts." He scowled and rubbed his side. "But anyway, she was really strong. Maybe she'll even beat Hiroto."

"Jay K!" protested Storm. "You traitor! I'm gonna report you!"

"Yeah right, you wouldn't dare. No one else gives you extra anchovies. Besides, I'm still on your side - just being wary of the odds, that's all," he shrugged.

Suddenly the door blasted open. Two figures stormed in.

"HAPPY!"

"Natsu?!" Happy stared.

Natsu and Yori were standing at the door, panting. Natsu was grinning and Yori looked nervous but determined, like he was about to confess or something.

"Happy, let's go!" Natsu grinned.

"Go where?" Happy said, puzzled.

"To find Nori and the lightning idiot."

"Storm, you come, too," Yori said.

Storm blinked. "Huh? Me too? Why? What's wrong with Nori?"

"She betrayed Hiroto and ran away."

"W-WHAT?! And you want me to find her? No way. Nuh-uh. I'm loyal to Hiroto." Despite his tough words, Storm looked uneasy. Nori was fun to hang around and if she was gone, who would play with him? Especially since she wasn't a wussy-fussy like most girls.

"Come _on_. We don't have much time."

"Why? She already betrayed us, so why should I care if she runs away or not?" Storm scowled.

Yori gave a sheepish smile. "I think I sort of like her."

Storm gaped. He began to say something, then closed his mouth. Finally he blinked a few times and said, "Let me get my hat."

Ten minutes later, Natsu, Happy, Yori and Storm - who was now wearing his precious red-and-black hat - stood in the pizza parlor, munching on the last few slices of the pepperoni/anchovy/sardine pizza (with extra tomato sauce).

"Okay, everyone ready?" Yori sad.

"Wait! Take this," Jay K said, handing them a large, flat cardboard box.

Natsu took a deep whiff and, recognizing the rich, familiar smell of cheesy pepperoni pizza, immediately volunteered to carry it.

"Good luck," Jay K said. "And save some for Nori and the Dreyar dude."

"No promises," Natsu said, grinning at the friendly pizza boy. Jay K grinned back.

"Okay, let's go," Yori said.

But they never started flying, because that was when the sky fell down.


	33. Stars of Magic, Springs of Samsāra

**Chapter 33 - Stars of Magic, Springs of Samsāra**

_**A/N:** Samsāra means the cycle of life and death... it'll make sense once you read this chapter and the next, which I'll post soon! ~.^_

_Also, the story is soon drawing to a close... but don't worry, it's not the end! I'll be posting an extra-special chapter about all the main characters... including Hiroto and the Cobras! Please review or PM me to let me know if you want me to or not ^_^ And if you want to see a certain something or other in the extra chapter, be sure to tell me! Like making =blank= do something ridiculous or making pairings between the FT characters and the OCs! _

_Now go ahead and read the newest chapter... Enjoy!_

* * *

><p>"Okay, let's go," Yori said.<p>

But they never started flying, because that was when the sky fell down.

Or at least, that's what it felt like.

The roof crumbled, spitting gigantic blocks of granite from the sky, spraying them with rocks from the stonework overhead. A modern-day avalanche, made especially for the city-boys.

Jay K, who looked like he could stand against anything life threw at him, yelped and threw himself behind Storm and Yori, who had magicked himself a bullet-proof shield.

Happy hid himself behind Natsu, who wouldn't die even if someone killed him (in fact, he was laughing his head off, which no one but Happy could hear because the roof avalanche's thundering was too loud).

And the rest of the waiters hid in the booths, under tables, behind the counter, even in the ovens.

Finally the thundering subsided.

"...W-what..."

"What was that?!"

"Ackkkmerughcarghoomph!" spat one waiter who had threw himself into a pile of pizza dough.

"...Is it gone yet?" whimpered Jay K, clutching onto Yori.

Suddenly a suspiciously-familiar female voice screamed.

"GEDDOFFA ME, BAKA!"

"I WOULD, IF I WASN'T PINNED TO THE GROUND BY A HUGE PILE OF GRANITE!" another (also suspiciously-familiar) voice shot back.

"AREN'T YOU SUPPOSED TO BE STRONG OR SOMETHING? GET IT OFF YOURSELF!"

"OH SHUT UP, IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT ANYWAY, IF IT WEREN'T FOR YOUR TOTAL LACK OF DIRECTIONS WE WOULD BE IN THE ARENA RIGHT NOW! WHERE THE HECK ARE WE ANYWAY?!"

"JUST GET OFFA ME ALREADY YOU PERV! THIS IS FREAKINGLY AWKWARD, I'M A GIRL Y'KNOW!"

Laxus grunted and pushed a huge granite block to the side. He stood up and shot a glare at the girl below him. "I am not a perv."

"Says the guy who was just on top of me," Nori scowled.

"..." Three guys and two Exceeds stared at them.

Nori blinked. "Oh, hi, Yori-"

"...What was that about him being on top of you?" The boy's voice was quiet.

Nori's face paled. "N-no! It was an accident! We were trying to get to the Arena and instead I sort of made a mistake and we ended up crashing into the pizza parlor and we sort of crash-landed in a weird position and..." her voice trailed off.

"Uh... Yori? This is the part where you sweep her up and kiss her and ask her to be yours?" Storm prodded.

"...What?" Nori said, taking a step backward.

Yori's face turned bright red. "SH-SHUT UP!" He whirled around and disappeared from the room.

"Yori!" Nori dashed after him.

"...Was it something I said?" Storm asked Jay K.

Laxus brushed off his pants and looked up. "Oh, the pinkie and his cat are here, too. Where are Titania and the Demon Girl?"

"Outside," Natsu said. "We were about to look for you guys, but since you found us already, I'm gonna go to the Arena. Erza's stealing all the fun for herself."

He grinned.

Jay K groaned. "I think I'll just stay here."

"Who the heck are you anyway?" Laxus muttered. "Yeesh, weird people just keep popping up everywhere. C'mon, Pinkie, let's go."

* * *

><p>Hiroto grinned. There was still one last weapon up his sleeve, and now was the perfect time to use it. Erza and Mira still seemed distracted, blushing and squealing about some random boys named Freed and Jellal.<p>

Imagine! In the middle of a life-and death battle, and talking about love?! It wasn't just stupid. It was embarrassing. Being the cool-cruel type he was, Hiroto would never be caught dead even thinking about loving someone, let alone talking about a crush out loud - of course, it's not like he _liked_ anyone. Love was stupid and idiotic and only brought pain.

He lifted his arms. It was time to end this battle.

Mira and Erza instantly noticed his movement.

"What, another Ice Dragon attack? Is that all you can do?" Mira said mockingly.

Hiroto shook his head. "Since when were you an expert in the dragonic magic arts?" he scoffed.

"Simple. Natsu, Wendy, and Gajeel from our guild are all dragon slayers, and dragon magic is pretty much the same techniques no matter what type - those wing lashes and punches, etc," Erza explained. "Now that we know what your magic is - ice - and have experienced first-hand what it is like, it is getting easier to find ways to deal with it. Such as - Exquip: Flame Empress Armor!"

Hiroto scoffed. "Are you joking? You already tried that one, remember? As I told you before, your flames cannot melt my ice."

Erza nodded. "True. But if it's not my fire..."

"What are you talking about?" scowled Hiroto.

Erza smiled, her eyes glinting, and it was at that moment that Hiroto felt a small shiver snake down his spine.

"Don't you remember?I have a fire dragon on my side."

Hiroto stared at her. Fire dragon? But dragons don't-

He gasped and threw himself to the ground just in time as a blazing figure swooped over his head.

"Aww, dangg so close!" Natsu hollered as Happy set him down on the ground near Erza.

"Salamander..." Hiroto frowned. Dragon fire against dragon ice...

"Give up, Hiroto," Mira said quietly. "You don't have to do this. You can just surrender and save everyone a lot of pain."

"Shut up, demon!" Hiroto said coldly. "Just one more person and you think you're gonna win?"

"I'm a fire dragon!" Natsu retorted. "Fire beats ice all the time. The whole melting thing. I mean, heck, it's not like ice can freeze fire."

Hiroto was about to tell him to shut up too then remembered the "one last weapon up his sleeve." He grinned, showing gleaming white incisors. "Are you sure about that?"

He closed his eyes and whispered, "To the Stars of Magic in the Darkest Nights - I summon thee, Star of the Azure Dragon... Give me the right to my inheritance."

"What is he _doing?_" Mira hissed to Erza, who frowned and narrowed her eyes at Hiroto.

"To the Springs beneath the Earth - I summon thee, Springs of Samsāra... give me the power that is rightfully mine." He opened his eyes and they were ice-blue.

The ground began to shake. Happy held onto Natsu's head, shaking.

"Don't worry. It's not that bad," Natsu said seriously, patting him on the head.

As they watched, the sky overhead blackened, the darkness blotting out the sun. The only light came from the ice-blue stars glittering hard in the dark sky.

And then the ground began to glow. Thousands, billions of tiny drops of moisture, twinkling like the stars miles overhead, rose up from the mud and grass. The air became cold, and the tiny water droplets began to harden, glittering like-

"Ice," Erza breathed.

Hiroto grinned. He lifted his right hand and beckoned with his pointer finger. "Come, my children."

The millions of magical droplets, now gleaming cells of ice, plunged into the floor, and for a moment the Arena was still.

Suddenly, the ground where Hiroto was standing on began to shake, glowing brighter until a blinding stream of magic burst from the ground.

Stunned, Erza watched as the magic wrapped itself around Hiroto, snaking around his arms and legs and slithering toward his chest until every last bit of magic had sunk into his heart.

And then the transformation happened.


	34. I Am An Original

**Chapter 34 - I Am An Original**

Hiroto grinned. He lifted his right hand and beckoned with his pointer finger. "Come, my children."

The millions of magical droplets, now gleaming cells of ice, plunged into the floor, and for a moment the Arena was still.

Suddenly, the ground where Hiroto was standing on began to shake, glowing brighter until a blinding stream of magic burst from the ground.

Stunned, Erza watched as the silver magic wrapped itself around Hiroto, snaking around his arms and legs and slithering toward his chest until every last bit of magic had sunk into his heart.

And then the transformation happened.

First Erza didn't really notice anything.

Then she realized that Hiroto's hair wasn't dark purple anymore. Eyes wide, she watched his hair change, the gleaming white-silver color spreading from his scalp to the tips of his hair - and then continuing, making his hair grow longer until it went down to his waist. His ice-blue eyes, once dark, grew even wider and more like a maniac every second. His entire body was paler than it had been in the first place, and looked cold and frozen, as if he himself was made of ice. And his clothes.

When the Fairies had first met him in the Arena a few hours ago, he had been wearing a jet-black jacket and dark dress pants. The outfit had showed off his dark-purple-and-shocking-pink locks, but now he looked even... well, Mira admitted grudgingly, he look hot. _Really_ hot. Like a wicked god who wanted to control the world, just like in all those storybooks where the evil villain was always the hot one.

The jacket had lengthened to a long, jet-black overcoat without sleeves, more like a cape that sucked in light, whipping the cold air as he moved. A dark band choked his neck. On his forearm was tattooed - all black - the guild-mark-sized shape of a snake, jaws open, ready to strike. His jet-black pants were made of the same magical cloth that, like all the other clothes he wore - and his steady, blank eyes - seemed to suck in light. His feet were bare and he hovered a full ten feet off the ground. Around his neck, wrists, and ankles were black anklets. And finally, sitting upon his silver hair like a jewel in the snow, was a metallic-black circlet studded with diamonds.

No, not diamonds. _Ice,_ Mira thought, entranced._  
><em>

Hiroto lifted his head, his silvery mane falling across his shoulders. He grinned down at the Fairies below.

"Avalanche."

Suddenly magic rushed towards Natsu, Happy, Erza, and Mira. The two Fairy women were blasted from their spots before they could even defend themselves. Natsu was blown only a few feet before he fell over backwards and hit the ground, frantically punching the attack with his flames.

"Cage," Hiroto smirked, and suddenly the attack stopped and instead the magic gathered to form a solid, clear-as-glass dome, stretching from the ground to the sky, capturing all the Fairies.

Natsu immediately attempted to ram through the ice with his fire punches.

"DAAAAMN! WHY CAN'T I MELT THIIS!" Natsu howled as he slammed his fist into the clear ice wall over and over.

"Save your energy," Hiroto said, flying down from his ten-foot height and landing right in front of the cage.

He sneered at Natsu through the ice. "Your fire will never melt my magic."

"You... what are you..." Mira began, then gasped. "W-wait, you're joking!"

Hiroto laughed. "Do I look like I'm joking?"

Erza glanced at Mira. "What's wrong?"

Mira gulped. "That magic he's using... It isn't normal dragon slayer magic. It's..." her voice trailed off, and her pretty face turned pale.

Hiroto smiled. "That's right, Mira-chan."

He raised his voice. "Listen up, all of you little Fairies. You have quite a few dragon slayers in your guild, right? Salamander and Dreyar, for example. They're both dragon slayers, but Salamander is First Generation and Dreyar is Second. I'm sure you know that already. But I doubt you'd know what type I am. Mind taking a guess?"

"...Third?" Natsu paused his relentless punching long enough to suggest.

Hiroto rolled his eyes. "I already told you you can't break that ice. Anyway, I'm not First, or Second or Third. I'm more like... an Original."

"Oh damn I knew it," Mira groaned.

"...What." Natsu stared at Hiroto.

"Yeah, what's an Original?!" Erza shouted, eyeing the Ice Dragon Slayer. She crossed her arms over her chest.

Hiroto sighed. "That's right, you haven't heard of Originals, have you?"

"How come you know about them?" Erza said, frowning at Mira.

"Levy told me. Apparently they're just a theory and shouldn't actually exist, but..." Mira shrugged. "I guess I was wrong."

"...Oh."

Hiroto cleared his throat sounding rather annoyed. "Just shut up and listen already, you insolent Fairies. Anyway, an Original is totally different from a Generation. Generations learn from dragons or get dragon magic implanted in them or both - but that's rather second-hand, don't you think? Originals are about as close as you can get to a dragon itself... And currently there is only one Original in the world. Actually I am the first... and most likely the only one that will ever exist. So naturally I coined the term myself."

"Your naming sense sucks," Natsu muttered, making Happy giggle.

"Can it, you two," Hiroto snarled. His face switched effortlessly to a smile. "You're sort of right, Mira, about what you said earlier. Originals shouldn't actually exist, because that requires the human vessel to have almost as much strength and Eternano as a dragon. Remember how I told you that I got magic by falling into a puddle? That puddle was made of cold, pure ice magic. Actually, let me rephrase that: the substance was not simply magic, but pure Eternano in physical form."

"Eternano?!" Erza gasped. "The origin of all magic... Impossible!"

"Oh, it's possible, alright," Hiroto grinned.

Erza did _not_ like his grin.

"Anyway, when I fell in it, it became a part of me. You know how dragons have huge stores of Eternano - magic? That's basically what happened to me. I became a living human vessel of Eternano. And that pure Eternano reacted to my personality and decided that my body was suited to the superior Dragon Slayer magic - and that was what gave me my ice powers. Suits me, don't you think?"

"Yeah, an icicle like Icicle and a thousand times more idiotic," Natsu agreed.

"Shut up or I swear I'll kill you. Anyway, because I was now technically a dragon in human form, I grew more and more powerful in the simple span of a few years and thus was able to murder at the age of 4. And from then on I've only gotten stronger."

"Whaa-?! Murder?! Why'd you do that?!" Natsu gaped.

Hiroto grinned. "Oh, right, you weren't here when I told the story, were you? Just shut up and pretend you know. So anyway, since I've got the Eternano capacity of a dragon, I now _am _a dragon itself. The Dragon God of the Sea, if you must know..." He looked smug.

Mira gasped. "W-Watatsumi...?!"

"Wata-what-ah?" Natsu repeated, scratching his head. Happy, who had planted himself on the ground beside him, scratched his furry blue head in unison.

"Watatsumi," Erza said, staring at Hiroto with a shocked look on her face. "As he said, he's the Sea Dragon God. Ancient culture, the old legends... they speak about a dragon in the form of a young boy... with white hair and ice-blue eyes and the power to manipulate all water... Oh damn this is _not_ good," she muttered, staring at Hiroto and his coincidentally attractive white hair and ice-blue eyes.

"That's right!" Hiroto said, looking pleased. "I _AM_ Watatsumi himself - a dragon in the form of a boy... who's grown up to be more of a young man now, and I must say I'm a rather good-looking young man, don't you think, Mira?

"Shut up," Mira muttered.

Hiroto laughed. "Anyway, since I was originally a normal human, that means that, for the most part when I am in human form, I am a normal Ice Dragon Slayer. I do the same kinds of moves as you do, Salamander, though with much more flair and less idiocy."

"Hey!" Natsu protested.

"...But when I am in this mid-form, meaning I am still in human form but I have called all the powers of the earth to my control, I transform into the way I look now with the cool clothes and the magic circlet, etc., and I have the ability to play with life and death, commanding all the water in the world to bend at my bidding. And of course, that includes all the moisture in the ground and plants - so I can control nutrients in plants and command the trees to grow or do what I wish, including swallowing up corpses or building hundred-foot wall around me. It also includes water vapor, meaning I can use refraction, etc., to focus sunlight to burn people alive, create a barrier of storm clouds that zap everyone with lightning, or cause it to rain or snow or hail and use those as attacks... Something wrong, Salamander? Don't tell me you're cold."

"Of course I am, idiot! I'm a fire mage!"

"Right, right. Anyway, besides all that, there's the actual liquid water itself - I can use that to attack all of you however I wish - meaning that your fire will simple be doused before it breaks down my ice. Which can't be broken down anyway, you know - it's extremely condensed and I can simply command it to stay cold no matter what. So don't bother trying to defeat me with your flames, Salamander. Fire on that level can't even hold a candle to my ice. No pun intended," he added, laughing.

"Hey..." The fire mage clenched his fists.

Hiroto glanced at Natsu. "What is it?"

"...=mumbles=..."

"Speak louder, idiot," Hiroto called.

"SHUT UP! I SAID DAMN YOU STINKING IDIOT! DON'T YOU DARE MAKE FUN OF THIS MAGIC! IGNEEL GAVE IT TO ME, _YOU I~-DII~-OT_!" Natsu screamed, slamming his fist into the ice with each syllable.

Hiroto stared. Was it just him, or did he hear a tiny cracking noise...?

Natsu was panting heavily. A grin broke out on his face. "It... broke...!"

Happy rushed to his side. "Waa- it really broke! There's a tiny crack in it!"

Hiroto scowled, and took a deep breath. That pinkette was troublesome. He sighed. "Fools."

Erza and Mira turned to him and for a moment he couldn't speak. Hope, from the sight of a single crack in the ice, blazed in their eyes.

"And you said it's not breakable," Erza challenged.

Hiroto shrugged. "Look again. A tiny crack like that is easily fixed. Look at your Salamander - he's nearly out of breath. You'll die before you escape. Unless..."

"Unless what?" Mira glared at him.

"Oh, don't look at me like that, Mira. It's not like I'm going to kill you. I'm just saying, you could always join my side, you know..."

"WHY THE HECK WOULD WE DO THAT?!" Natsu hollered.

"Ouch. Stop shouting or I'll kill you," Hiroto muttered, flying a good few feet away from the noisy pinkette. "It's not like I'd want _you_ on my side anyway. But as for you two, Titania and Demoness..."

He smiled at Mira. "What do you think? I could use people like you."

Mira shuddered. It seemed like his eyes were piercing into her skull. But there was something calming about his gaze... Maybe he was right. After all, all he wanted was peace in the world... and the Ice Crystal Cannon was a pretty cool piece of weaponry... and it's not like her fellow Fairy Tail members would get hurt - after all, he would probably spare their lives if they went on his side... and to top it all of he was good-looking_..._

Mira jumped, startled as Erza placed a hand on her shoulder.

She glanced at the scarlet-haired mage, who smiled back.

Mira could read this question in her eyes: _Are you okay?_

And Mira answered back: _Now I am._

She stepped forward. "No way you fucking bastard," she said smugly, chin lifted.

Hiroto jerked back, as if slapped. His mouth opened, then closed. Finally he said, "Fine. And I don't suppose you'll join me either, will you, Titania?"

"I'd rather die," Erza retorted, eyes blazing.

A grin slowly spread across Hiroto's face.

"You'd rather die, huh?"

He stopped grinning, and his eyes narrowed.

"Then how about I grant your wish, _Fairies! _Dragon Slayer Magic: Hidden Arts!"

_"MIZUCHI!"_

* * *

><p><strong>The end is near! Please review if you want an extra side-story at the end (involving all the main characters, including Hiroto and the Cobras!) ^_^<strong>


	35. Grand FinaleGlad To Be Home

_**Okay guys. It's finally here! It took a long time coming (sorry bout that, stuff happened) but as an apology I made it pretty long... over 6000 words! Like, man, I never even knew I could do that XD**_

_**On a more serious note, I'm practically in tears. The story has finally come to an end, and although there were many bumps along the way, I am extremely happy with the way it turned out. Hiroto was a great new character (so were the rest of the Cobras) and despite my many mistakes, you guys stayed with meh so THANK YOU SO MUCH! WAAHH I'M GONNA MISS U!**_

_***cough yes I know I'm boring you so without further ado, thanks to everyone who supported me and commented and gave me advice and stuff, and off we go!**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 35: Grand FinaleGlad to Be Home**

"_MIZUCHI!"_

The instant the word left Hiroto's mouth, the air around him began to glow. Suddenly, out of seemingly nothing, tiny shards of ice formed from the invisible beads of moisture in the air. As the Fairies watched, the magic around Hiroto fused with the ice and moisture and in a matter of seconds the entire Arena was filled with tiny, sparkling, gleaming beads of ice magic.

"Whoa..." Mira couldn't help but admire the cold beauty exhibited in the magic. She reached out to touch one of the magic bits but just as she was about to touch it, Hiroto lifted his own hand.

Instantly millions of the frozen magic pieces_ shwoomed_ to where he was standing like a vacuum sucking them in. He raised his hands over his head and shouted, "TRANSFORM!"

Suddenly the magic bonded together, shining brightly. Happy yelped and Natsu shielded his eyes from the blinding light. When he finally opened his eyes again, Hiroto was no longer standing alone.

Towering above the Arena, spilling light from its glowing body over the entire expanse, was a giant water dragon. Although each scale reflected tiny rays of light in every colour of the rainbow, the almost-transparent floating dragon was mostly blue with glinting turquoise scales and empty, ice-blue eyes. Mira had to pinch herself to convince she wasn't dreaming.

Its head turned, its translucent, see-through water-body coiling as it moved. "Watatsumi..." the dragon growled in a low, thunderous voice. Its scales rippled with the vibration of its vocal set.

Natsu stared, eyes wide. "A... dra... dragon..." he whispered, faltering.

Erza glanced at him. "Natsu."

Natsu gulped and nodded. "Y... yeah. I'm okay." He closed his eyes, inhaled through his nostrils, and slowly exhaled. Finally he opened his eyes and nodded, his expression solemn and serious.

Hiroto nodded at the dragon. "It's been a while, Mizuchi," his voice dripping with distaste.

Mizuchi laughed, but with his growly voice it sounded more like he was coughing. "You've certainly grown, although you're still rather scrawny. What have you been eating, boy?"

"Shut up! Pay your king a little respect!" Hiroto, who had more muscle than Natsu, scowled.

Natsu howled in laughter. "Hiroto's scrawnyyy!"

Mizuchi finally noticed the Fairies. "Oh? Who are these?" He looked interested.

"My opponents."

"Yeah! Come and fight me, big guy!" Natsu shouted, plastering a huge grin over his face.

Mizuchi seemed hesitant. "There's something off about that pinkette. Who did you say he was?"

"I never said he was anything." Hiroto muttered. He glared at Natsu. "He's just trash, like the rest of them. Finish them off."

"As you wish, m'lord."

Mizuchi opened his huge mouth, exposing two sharp fangs protruding from the top of his mouth.

No sound came out.

But all of a sudden Natsu thrown backwards into the air by an invisible force. The very air screamed at him, pushing him backwards until he slammed against the far side of the thick, glassy cage wall. _Cra-a-ack!_

"Damn..." He winced as a sharp pain pierced his chest. His tailbone was severely bruised and he was sure a couple ribs had snapped.

"Oww..." Nearby, Erza and Mira were picking themselves off the ground, grimacing at the pain.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Can't take the pain? Fairies are rather light, you know. If you're not careful, the wind will pick you up and smash you against a wall," Hiroto smirked.

"WHAT THE HECK DID YOU JUST DO?!" Natsu shot back.

"Simple. Mizuchi opened his mouth and made a huge air wave in such a high pitch that you can't hear it, but it's powerful enough to force the air against you... Like being hit by a truck, only worse. And of course with my water-ice powers, I can manipulate the moisture in the air to attack you, too, but with Mizuchi being the main attacker and me simply helping him, I don't have to waste too much energy on trash like you," Hiroto explained with a smug smile.

Erza's eyes narrowed, thinking. _Strange... For someone who claims to be the Sea Dragon God, why is he relying on a dragon instead of his own powers?_

_Something is keeping him from unleashing all his power._

_What is it...?_

And then the answer came to her.

"Of course...!" Erza exclaimed.

"Erza?" Natsu glanced at her.

It all made sense now!

"You're not a dragon at all," whispered Erza.

"What?" Hiroto said, staring at her.

"You're just a normal boy."

"Erza, what are you talking about?" Mira asked, puzzled.

Erza ignored her. Instead, she turned and looked Hiroto in the eyes. "You're pretending, aren't you?"

Hiroto blinked, then relaxed and began to laugh. "Now I get it. You're desperate. Now that you've finally realized you're never gonna win, you're becoming delusional, grasping at straws." He snickered. "Just _what _do you think you're talking about?" He laughed some more.

Erza didn't flinch. "Shut up, Hiroto. Sure you can use magic, but 'original'? 'Watatsumi'? It sounded pretty convincing just now, but if you're that powerful, why are you relying on a dragon instead of your own powers?"

"I don't need to waste my powers on you-"

"Then explain why you haven't used any 'special' powers yet. Only things that other generations of dragonslayers do, like Ice Dragon Wing Lash and Roar." Erza paused. "Tell me, Hiroto, if you are really a special generation, why is it that you haven't defeated us yet? That you have only used normal moves on us?"

Hiroto didn't answer.

Mira glanced at Erza. _What is she planning...?_

Erza continued, with a small grimace. "You're not a special dragon slayer at all. You're just a normal dragon slayer who somehow gained a summoning contract with a dragon."

Hiroto stared at her thoughtfully. He looked somewhat relieved all of a sudden. "Ah... so after all that talking, you've finally decided that I'm actually nothing special, hm?" He chuckled softly. "You really are just stalling for time, aren't you?"

"NO!" Mira suddenly blurted.

Erza, Natsu, and Happy looked at her quizzically.

"H-he is doing things like dragon slaying." Mira agreed, turning to Erza, her eyes widening in slight panic as she struggled to get her words out. "But he's not a dragon slayer."

"Mira? What are you talking about?" Natsu asked.

Mira ignored him. Memories flooded into her mind, coming fast. Realization struck as each new memory appeared in her mind

"_That's a darkweed."_

_Mira was startled by Hiroto's sudden remark. His voice was softer than before._

"_A... darkweed?"_

"_Yes, but it's not really a weed. Pardon the name. It's my flower... I made it up, using magic."_

"Remember when you showed me the darkweed?" Mira said, turning suddenly to face Hiroto.

Hiroto looked at her, confused. "Yes...?"

"You told me that time that anyone could do it. But when that's not true."

Hiroto laughed uncomfortably. "Of course you can! I told you, just transfer your powers from yourself to the plant..."

"Nope. Only descendants of a certain heritage can do it. The ability to send magic through oneself to an soulless or unmagical object, in other words making an unmagical object magical, is a trait that only those people can do." She took a deep breath.

"What people?" Erza said.

"...People with Acnologia's genes."

"WHAT?!" Natsu, Happy, and Erza shouted.

Mira winced. "Yeah."

"But that's impossible! Acnologia may have been human in the past, but he didn't get married or whatever," argued Natsu.

Erza said, "You don't have to be married to have kids."

"..." Hiroto, Natsu, Happy, and Mira all stared at her.

"Hey, it's not like I'm talking from personal experience, so stop looking at me like that!" Erza protested.

"...Anyway," Mira continued, coughing. "What I'm saying is, Hiroto is from a special clan. The Chiyoko clan."

"OMIGOSH?! SERIOUSLY?!" a voice screamed nearby.

Mira, Erza, Natsu, Happy, and Hiroto turned to look at the figure who was approaching.

Familiar blue hair tucked behind a headband, cascading down the back of a petite girl with a bright orange sundress. Add an excited smile and a dash of innocence, and voila! Instant Levy.

"Levy?! What are you doing here?" Erza stared.

Hiroto blinked. "Where did this person come from..."

"Oh. My. Gosh. I-is this the Chiyoko boy?!" Levy squealed, turning to Hiroto. Her voice gushed excitement. "I thought they were all gone!" She bounded over to him. Hiroto's eyes widened and he stumbled backwards for a second, stunned by her energy.

"Can I get your autograph?" she asked hopefully.

"W-what?" Hiroto stared down at her. He lifted a hand to his cheek. _Am... I blushing?! _he thought, disgusted.

He scowled and pushed Levy aside with his arm.

"OW!" Levy fell on her backside. "What are you doing that for?"

"Ahem." Erza cleared her throat. "Levy, that's Hiroto. He's the Cobra King guy who kidnapped the Grays and Juvias, remember?"

Levy gasped. "What?" She glanced at Hiroto, who stared back at her with a this-girl-is-so-dumb expression on his face.

"Ah, s-sorry," she stammered, standing up and backing slowly away.

_Why is she apologizing..._ everyone thought, sweating.

"Why are you here?" Mira asked.

"Oh, right. I nearly forgot about that," Levy said sheepishly. "Basically, I was worried about you guys, so I went to Bina's Baubles and saw Cutch, who led me here."

"Hi," Cutch said, poking waving from his safe spot in the doorway to the Arena.

"Is anyone else here?" Erza asked.

"Uh... Well you see, Cutch accidentally broke the bathroom portal thing, and now no one can get through," Levy explained. "At the moment, Master Makarov and everyone else are trying tiring a way to get here."

"Can I beat him up?" Natsu asked Erza.

"Go ahead," Erza nodded.

Happily, Natsu went over to where Cutch was. As everyone watched, he lifted his fist, then hesitated when Cutch leaned over and whispered something to him. After a moment, Natsu nodded, and went back to the others.

"I thought you were going to beat him up," Erza said pointedly.

Natsu grinned. "I was, but then he offered to treat me to a meal later."

"...Fair enough." Erza shrugged, neutrally.

"Um, excuse me, but I think you guys are forgetting that the Hiroto-Chiyoko guy is standing right there..." Levy said.

"Ah, that's right," Erza said calmly, turning to face Hiroto once more.

Watatsumi snickered. "Wow, looks like they totally forgot you were here."

"Not all of them," Hiroto muttered, glancing at Levy and turning pink.

"He liiiiiiii-" Happy was cut off by Hiroto's death glare.

"Anyway, back to the topic." Mira nodded at Hiroto. "This guy is a member of the Chiyoko clan."

"What's that?" Happy asked.

"It's a clan that... well, Levy knows more about them than I do, so if you would?" Mira looked at the blunette.

Levy smiled, honoured. "Yes! The Chiyoko clan is a special clan that is made up of special people. The word 'chiyoko' means 'child of a thousand suns.' It describes someone who has the powers of a Chiyoko... Basically what happens is, there are over a thousand different types of magic. When a fire mage marries a water mage, they have a kid who has both fire and water magic genes in them. When that person grows up and marries an air mage, their kid has those three genes in him or her as well - even if they are only proficient in one type of magic, but that's not something I'll go into right now. Anyway, in history, only two people have become 'Chiyoko's naturally - those two were descendents of people who carried all the genes of every single major type of magic. And when that happens, they become very very special mages who can do things such as transfer magic into plants, as well as imitate other types of magic that they have seen before. Anyway, hundreds of years ago, the celestial spirits up in the sky saw that there were two people about to be born - the two Chiyoko's - and celestial spirit Lady Luck decided to strike a partnership with celestial spirit Cupid, and the two Chiyoko's, one man and one woman, got married and had three children. One of them was a girl, there were two boys. The girl was very beautiful, and one of the brothers fell in love with her and she with him, and they got married."

"What?! That's sick!" Natsu exclaimed.

"...Um, yeah. Anyway, that's what happened and I'm not gonna complain because their union made another female Chiyoko child. About a month after that child's birth, the other brother raped the sister and had a baby Chiyoko son. The first brother got mad and fought the other brother, and somehow ended up killing him and then suiciding, leaving the sister to take care of her two children by herself. Ashamed, the sister went to the mountains to raise the kids by herself, and pretended that she was a nanny, not their mother, and told them that they were not related at all. So of course those two kids grew up and fell in love and got married as well... Stop looking disgusted, Natsu. Anyway, the cycle repeated until eventually, the sister died and a Chiyoko clan was born. Despite their rough origins, they learned to get along, all living happily together in the mountain. The Chiyoko clan were a peaceful and harmonious people, who cared for the animals and plants on the mountain. Although they usually tend to have no specialties themselves, due to their amazing genes, but are able to replicate almost any form of magic that they have seen. Unfortunately, their clan was wiped out by Acnologia years ago. I thought they were all gone, but if this Hiroto person is truly a Chiyoko, then perhaps they aren't extinct, after all," Levy finished, turning to look at Hiroto.

"Wow..." Mira said softly.

"Um, no offense but, what does this story have to do with Hiroto?" Natsu demanded.

Mira looked at Hiroto.

"I suspect Hiroto is simply a Chiyoko descendant who specializes in dragonslayer powers and relation powers."

Hiroto was shocked. "I am _not _Chiyoko. My mother was a mage, but my father wasn't."

"Then he probably had mage genes. I'm guessing they were so-called 'Chiyoko-breeders' - parents of any original Chiyoko. like the two who began the Chiyoko clan centuries ago," Levy said.

"..." Hiroto frowned but said nothing. Instead, even though he frowned, he looked thoughtful...

He smiled.

"That means I can do many things, can't I?"

"What?" Levy blinked.

"Can't I?" Hiroto kept smiling.

Levy looked at him. Something about his words worried her.

"Um... yes."

He laughed. "Perfect. Then I suppose it's time to try out some of those rumoured Chiyoko powers...!"

"?!"

_Crap...! _Levy thought.

"Hold on a second," a voice came from above.

Everyone looked up.

Levy, Natsu, Erza, Mira, and Happy all gasped.

There, looking down at them from the flying ship _Christina_, was Makarov. He was standing on the side handrail. Hibiki smiled and waved from the helm of the ship.

"King of the Cobras - Hiroto-kun, am I correct?" Makarov said sternly.

"Yes," nodded Hiroto, narrowing his eyebrows. "Who are you?"

"I am Makarov Dreyar, 6th Guild Master of Fairy Tail. I demand that you give me back my children."

Hiroto coughed. "I'm sorry, Master Dreyar, but I'm afraid I can't do that. I've got a plan, and I can't let anyone interfere."

"Then I'll have to stop you." Makarov cleared his throat and announced loudly, "I, on behalf of Fairy Tail, announce war against the Cobras-"

"Wait!"

Everyone turned. Mei stood panting in the entranceway of the arena.

"Wait, please," she repeated desperately. She coughed and continued. "I don't want war. We'll give you back your guildmates. Just please, don't attack us. We promise, we'll give them back-"

"Mei, what are you doing?" demanded Hiroto.

Mei swallowed. "I... I think we should stop, Hiroto."

"What are you talking about?! I've worked hard for this plan. I'm not letting anyone get in the way of it!" he shouted, his voice rising hysterically. Anger and pain showed in his eyes. He lifted a hand, and suddenly ice formed and slammed against Mei, throwing her onto the ground. Hiroto turned and screamed at the Fairies. "YOU HEAR ME?! I'M NOT GOING TO LET THEM GO. I'M GOING TO DESTROY THIS WORLD AND I'M STARTING WITH YOU!"

He lifted a hand toward them. Then a voice came, and Hiroto startled and turned, lowering his hand.

"Unfortunately, we've already escaped of our own accord."

Gray stepped into the Arena, smiling. Behind him, Juvia, Edo-Gray, and Edo-Juvia followed, smiles on their faces.

"Grays! Juvias!"

"Everyone!" the ex-captives rushed towards their friends while Makarov looked on from above.

After a moment of smiling fondly at the reunion below, Makarov turned to Hiroto.

"So, kid," he said. "Now that your prisoners are gone, what are you going to do?"

Hiroto had turned pale. His eyes were fixed with hatred on Gray.

"You...!" he hissed, ignoring Makarov.

He started to walk toward Gray.

Everyone turned.

Natsu glared at him. "Don't you dare try and defeat us. Now that Popsicle and Edo-Gray and the Juvias are here, you won't stand a chance."

"Plus, the whole guild is here, too," Levy added, pointing upwards where at least a dozen faces had appeared over _Christina_'s railing.

Hiroto faltered. He stopped, and stared at Natsu.

"Why..."

"?" Natsu blinked. "Why what?"

"Why are you all such fucking idiots," Hiroto sighed. Suddenly it seemed like all his energy had been drained. He sat down on the grass, cross-legged, and, to everyone's surprise, started playing with a blade of grass. Slowly, hesitantly taking long pauses as if carefully choosing which words to use, Hiroto spoke.

"You know..."

Everyone waited patiently.

"I... I just wanted to make a perfect world. A world where everyone loved each other, and nobody had to die. But when I saw my father kill my mother, I knew... there was no way a world like that could exist. Not when anyone is just allowed to do whatever they please." He shook his head. "The only way to make a perfect world is to have absolute power. Because I learned that when someone is feared, they are in control. Everyone under them must obey them..." he whispered. He lifted his head and looked at Gray.

"That's what my father taught me."

Natsu paused. Then he decided and spoke. "You know, Hiroto, that's not right."

Hiroto's eyebrows narrowed. "I-"

"Just hear me out, okay? Say you do end up defeating us. If you make a world like that, sure everyone will obey you for a while, but do you really think you can keep sadness from happening? Eventually someone will get fed up with being controlled and told what to do, and then they'll rebel. That's what you did to your father, right?"

"..."

"Ya. And that kind of world won't give true happiness. When people are told what to do, they aren't allowed to have emotions anymore. They turn from humans to robots... Honestly, I don't think that's what your mother would have wanted. A group of sad, sad robots led by an even sadder king."

Hiroto looked down. "But if I don't control the world, sadness will keep on happening."

"Yeah, and there's nothing we can do about that. People make their own decisions. But I know there's someone you can make happy, and you can do it right now." Natsu walked forward and stopped a few meters away from Hiroto.

"Go." Natsu pointed. "Go talk to her."

Hiroto followed Natsu's gaze to where Mei lay moaning in the grass, clutching her stomach. He blinked.

"What am I gonna say to her?" he asked, sounding hesitant like a little child.

Natsu shrugged. "Figure that out yourself. I'm sure you've got something you want to say to her, right?"

Hiroto stared at Natsu.

Natsu sighed. "Aw c'mon, go talk to her before she dies of that wound you gave her. You love her, don't you?"

Hiroto blinked. "Oh. Right."

He took a few steps that way, then choked and spun around. "W-WAIT WHAT ARE YOU-"

Natsu laughed. "Hurry up, dumbass."

Hiroto blushed and ran over to Mei.

"Ugh..." Mei groaned as pain spread through her body. _What have I done all this for? I just wanted to marry Hiroto and live happily ever after with him in his new world... I was so blinded by love that I didn't realize that what I really wanted, true nakama and love... would never happen in a world like that. It's too late, though. I can't change his mind anymore._

_My strength is fading._

_Am I dying?_

She chuckled softly, despite the pain.

_I guess my life really was pathetic, after all._

"Mei!"

_Huh? Wait... Who is calling me?_

"MEI!"

"Hiroto?!"

A shadow fell over her face, and Hiroto's dark, lovable eyes stared back at hers.

"Mei."

"H-Hiroto..."

Mei forced herself to smile. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be fighting those Fairies and making your new world?"

Hiroto shook his head. "Salamander changed my mind. I'm not doing that anymore. All I want to do right now is... bring the Cobras back together. And save you. And after I save you, I'm gonna marry you."

"Oh... alright," Mei smiled. Her eyes closed. _That's nice. He wants to save me. It's too late though... I can already feel my consciousness fading away._

_Wait._

'_Marry you'?!_

Her eyes flew open, and she sat up quickly. But before she could say anything, a pair of lips met hers and suddenly Hiroto was kissing her.

"_Mmmph!"_

Hiroto broke for breath.

"Hiroto, wait-" she protested, but his lips crashed into hers again.

Sighing internally, she decided dying could wait for later. Right now, all she felt like doing was kissing him back.

"Wow, look at them, going at it in full daylight," Natsu remarked.

"And in front of a bunch of strangers, even," Mira laughed. "Not that I mind."

Natsu turned to Gray. "Aren't they idio-" He stopped short when he realized Gray had disappeared.

"They went over there," Erza pointed, laughing.

Natsu followed Erza's gaze. "'They'?"

Sure enough, Gray had conjured an igloo in the corner of the arena. Natsu sighed. He had a pretty good idea of who 'they' were, and what they were doing inside it.

Erza and Mira ran over to the _Christina_, who Hibiki was setting to land on the grassy arena.

"Everyone!"

Hugs and smiles went around. Everyone was relieved to see their friends safe and sound, and most were surprised to see the Cobras, who had seemed such formidable enemies, all so emotional, but when Erza explained the situation, everyone understood and were pretty amused.

* * *

><p>Edo-Juvia and Edo-Gray didn't go back to Edolas that evening. Instead, they stayed at the guild for a few weeks, learning about Earthland and making friends with everyone there.<p>

Nori and Yori didn't end up joining Fairy Tail, either. When they heard Hiroto and Mei were getting married, they decided to stay with the Cobras, and the guild was soon registered in the Magic Council's database as an official law-abiding good guild. They also started dating, although according to Ran, they still blushed every time they held hands. Mei and Ran often visited Erza and Mira at the guild, while Natsu had become good friends with the charismatic Jay K and the adorable Yori, who looked up to the pinkette dragonslayer.

Finally, it was time for the Edo pair to go.

The guild gathered in the courtyard of Fairy Tail.

"Bye, Edo-Juvia," Juvia smiled.

"Bye. I'm gonna miss you all," Edo-Juvia sniffed, hugging her counterpart.

"Maaaaan, it's gonna be boring with you guys gone," sighed Gray.

"Yeah. It's been fun," added Natsu.

Edo-Gray sniffed. "Yeah. So I guess this is goodbye, huh?"

Mira smiled comfortingly. "Who knows? The Portal was an unexpected piece of magic. Maybe it, or something else, will appear sooner than we think."

"GUYS! THE PORTAL'S READY!" Jet called out from where he and Droy were doing last-minute check-ups on the magic materials.

Edo-Gray went over and took Edo-Juvia's hand.

"Let's go."

Holding each other's hand, they slowly walked to where the portal was set up.

Suddenly a car honk came from the street.

"_HOLD UP, FAIRIES!"_

Everyone turned around.

"Ran! Mei!" Erza grinned.

Sitting at the wheel of a snazzy magical flying car painted a glossy red, Ran set the car to land, waved and took off her helmet. Her familiar beautiful shimmering silver-and-green hair spilled down her back. "Hey guys!" Her dark green eyes sparkled like emeralds.

Edo-Juvia and Edo-Gray and everyone ran over to the Cobras, who were piling out of the car one by one.

Behind Ran came Mei.

Mira walked over to her. "Oh my gosh, Mei! Your hair is gorgeous!"

"You think?" When they first met her, her hair had been dyed green, like Ran's. After a few weeks and an appointment at a magical hair salon, her hair had been restored to its stunning original colour and texture - gold-and-silver, like Yori's short hair.

Yori was the next to jump out of the car. He instantly ran over to Natsu. "Natsu!"

"Yori! How's it going with Nori?"

Yori blushed. "Uh... How's it going with Lucy?" he asked quickly, to change the subject.

Natsu blushed.

"LAXUS!" Nori screamed, running over to Laxus.

Yori glanced over at Laxus. "Grr," he muttered.

Laxus grinned, and smirked at Yori as Nori gave him a hug.

"How's my fav little Cobra doing?" he smirked at Yori while talking to Nori.

Yori hissed back at him, "Get your hands off of my girlfriend."

"What? She's the one who hugged me."

"..."

Nori giggled. Ever since the whole Cobra incident had been wrapped up, Nori had been extremely close to Laxus, and although she was already dating Yori, the young boy still got jealous every time they met Laxus. And of course Laxus took every opportunity to tease him. Not that Nori minded; secretly, she found the entire affair very fun.

Levy cleared her throat. "Um, I love the whole reunion thing, but the Portal has a limited time period. It won't work if we take too long..."

"R-right!" Everyone quickly scrambled apart.

Levy nodded at Jet and Droy who were assembled on either side of the Portal.

The artificial Portal was made by putting all the ingredients in a magic lacrima bowl hooked to the top of a large doorway. The doorway Levy used was the Fairy Tail guild one in the main courtyard, so everyone in the guild could come and watch. It took several hours to load, and once started, would only last two seconds, so if the people were too late, they would simply walk through the gate as normal and the ingredients had to be gathered up again.

Levy checked her timer. "Okay. T minus one hundred seconds. If you have any last parting words, say them now." She swallowed back her tears and tried to speak courageously.

"You sound like we're gonna die," Edo-Juvia joked.

She sniffed and turned to Lucy. "Lucy, sorry for all the stupid things I did to you when I first arrived in Earthland. I promise if we ever meet again, I'll pay for all my clothes next time."

Lucy shook her head and smiled. "Are you kidding? That doesn't matter."

They hugged, and then Edo-Juvia turned to Erza.

"You're seriously a pretty cool lady. I'm gonna miss hanging out with you."

Erza hugged her tightly. "Say hi to Knightwalker for me, okay?"

Edo-Juvia nodded. Erza let her go, and she turned to Mira.

"Mira Jane, thanks for everything you've done for me. Your presence made my time here super fun."

Mira laughed and squeezed her tight. "I should be saying that to you."

Finally, Mira let her go and Edo-Juvia turned to Juvia.

She opened her mouth, then closed it.

"Omigosh. I'm going to miss you so, so much!" she burst out, opening her arms wide.

Everyone smiled as the two Juvias hugged.

Levy ahemed. Edo-Juvia glanced up.

"Uh, it's t minus-mmff!"

"I'm gonna miss you, too!" Edo-Juvia squealed, hugging the small blunette tight.

Levy smiled. "T minus twenty seconds. Time for you to go."

Edo-Juvia nodded, squeezed her one last time, then let go and turned to Edo-Gray, who had finished saying his goodbyes to the guys as well.

"Shall we go?" the fluffy man said.

The girl smiled. They took each other's hands and walked toward the Portal and stopped a few steps before it.

"Ok. T minus ten... nine... eight... seven... six... five... four... three... two... one."

Suddenly light burst from the hanging lacrima, and the entire doorway lit up.

"Go!" Levy smiled and shouted.

The Edo-couple exchanged tiny smiles at each other, then, without looking back, stepped through the portal and disappeared into the light.

There was a huge flash and an enormous warping sound as they disappeared, and for a moment everything was silent.

"Goodbye," Juvia whispered. No one heard except for Gray, who quietly put an arm around her shoulder.

* * *

><p>The Portal was more violent than the couple had remembered it. The white light was blinding, the sound of magic sweeping past them was like thunder, and it took all of their combined strength to hold on to each other's hands.<p>

But suddenly the whooshing stopped and the light disappeared and they fell onto hard, cold ground.

Slowly, the two of them opened their eyes.

"Hey!" Edo-Gray exclaimed. "We're back in that alley!"

Indeed, they were sitting in the middle of the alley where the Portal had first appeared in Edolas. The sounds of people walking around on the streets, calling for children or friends, was very familiar. And the Portal had disappeared for good.

Suddenly they heard feet running towards them, and the figure of a blonde-haired female turned the corner and gasped as she spotted them.

"Gray! Juvia! There you are!"

She turned and raised her voice to the street. "Guys! I found 'em!"

Stunned, Edo-Juvia could only gasp as Edo-Lucy's arms wrapped her in a tight hug.

"I missed you guys so much! Where were you?!"

"L-Lucy? You're Lucy Ashley, right?"

Edo-Lucy pulled back and made a face. "What? Of course I am. Who else could be as fabulous as me?"

"Move aside!" A small but powerful blunette suddenly rammed into them and pushed Edo-Lucy beside. She grabbed Edo-Juvia and hugged her fiercely. "Dammit Juvia, where on Edolas did you go?"

But before Edo-Juvia could answer Edo-Levy was pushed aside and she was instead hugged by Edo-Lucy again. "You blue-headed idiot, I was hugging her first!"

"So? She obviously likes me better!"

"Are you kidding me? I'm more fabulous!"

"Oh shut up blondie!"

"What did you call me?!"

As her two friends forgot about Edo-Juvia and began fighting with each other, Edo-Juvia turned and watched Edo-Gray, who was also being attacked with hugs by Edo-Natsu and Edo-Jet and Edo-Droy.

"Gray, where did you guys go? Since Juvia was gone Lucy was being strangely nice to me. She wouldn't even hit me once! It felt really weird!" cried Edo-Natsu desperately.

"I'll bet he was off wooing Juvia again," Edo-Jet announced, exchanging grins with Edo-Droy.

"Yeah. He's both pathetic and manly when it comes to love. So, has she fallen for you yet?" his friend laughed innocently.

Edo-Gray's face turned bright red.

"...You're kidding," the boys gaped. They turned to Edo-Juvia, whose cheeks were starting to turn pink.

"Omigosh seriously?! Heck yes!" screamed Edo-Lucy, jumping into the conversation.

Edo-Levy snickered. "Knew it'd finally happen. So, have you guys kissed yet?"

The couple blushed even harder.

"What, you have?!"

"No we haven't!" Edo-Juvia protested.

"Y-yeah! We just recently got together! You know, while we were, uh, missing," Edo-Gray agreed.

"Ooh, how suspicious. So you eloped or something? Where'd you go? A private hotel?"

"NO!"

The couple continued to protest, and everyone laughed.

Then Edo-Lucy smiled. "Okay, let's go back to the guild. Everyone's seriously worried about you guys. We want to know every detail of what happened when you were gone. If anyone harmed you guys, I'll beat them up ten times worse than anything they did to you..."

"Pfft, pathetic. You can be sure I'd destroy 'em a million times over," Edo-Levy snickered.

"Are you serious? Like your spindly arms can do any damage," shot Edo-Lucy.

As the group began to walk back to the guild, with the two female rivals yelling at each other and the guys starting to talk about romance for some reason, Edo-Juvia smiled. Her time in Earthland was fun, and she'd never forget it, but it felt good to be home.

"Hey, Juvia! Are you planning on disappearing on us again?" Edo-Levy called from the front of the group. She and Edo-Levy had stopped fighting and were both looking at her expectantly.

Suddenly she noticed the genuine worry on her friends' faces. They'd really been worried about her.

_I have some really great friends._

She smiled, touched.

"Of course not. Edolas is my only home."

"Huh? What are you talking about? Of course it is," Edo-Lucy said, giving her an odd look.

"Yeah. I dunno what you mean by that, but you can tell me ALL~~ about it later!" Edo-Levy ran over and grabbed Edo-Juvia's arm, giving her a big smile.

"Hey! You're planning on keeping her to yourself, aren't you?"

"Heheh, mebbe~"

Meanwhile, the guys had started talking about the trip.

"Seriously?! You guys went to Earthland?!" Edo-Natsu gasped in awe.

"Da~ng, you got yourself wrapped up in some insane stuff!" Edo-Jet whistled. "You're stronger than I thought."

"So how many guys did you beat up...?..." Edo-Droy inquired with a wicked grin.

"No, I wasn't really all that amazing..." Edo-Gray protested with a little smile.

Edo-Juvia grinned. "Are you kidding? You pretty much saved me from the Cobras."

"You Romeo," the guys snickered at Edo-Gray, who began blushing.

"J-Juvia, stop it! It's embarrassing! Besides, you were really cool too..."

Edo-Juvia laughed. She'd missed the familiar bickering of her friends. Although their Earthland counterparts were great friends, and she'd had an amazing time aside from all the mirky drama, Edolas _was _her home, and honestly, it felt absolutely wonderful to be back.

Smiling, she reached over and took Edo-Gray's hand.

"Huh? Is something wrong?" He looked over at her, concerned.

She giggled. "Nope."

"What? Wait-GAHHH!"

Yanking her new lover behind her, Edo-Juvia laughed and started to run.

"C'mon, let's hurry and go to the guild!" she sang.

Giving her a bewildered look, Edo-Gray shook his head and smiled. He'd fallen in love with a very strange girl.

Meanwhile, the rest of the group had been left behind, staring wide-mouthed at the suddenly energetic couple.

"...Dang," Edo-Levy blurted out.

"What a sight. Who knew we'd see them so lovey-dovey so soon?" Edo-Jet said, and Edo-Droy nodded, a half-grin on his face.

Edo-Lucy snickered. "So... Anyone wanna bet when they'll get married?"

"Speaking of marriages, I know someone who wants to marry you," Edo-Levy suddenly giggled and jabbed Edo-Natsu in the ribs.

Edo-Lucy suddenly turned pale. "Don't you dare..."

"What~? Something wrong?" Edo-Levy teased. "Don't want him to know you secretly like someone?"

Edo-Natsu's eyes widened and he stammered, "W-wait, Lucy likes someone?"

"SHUT UP!" the blonde turned completely red and started to chase Edo-Levy down the street after the Gruvia couple.

"L-Lucy! Who do you like?" Edo-Natsu cried, running after them.

"Nobody! I don't like anyone!" she protested.

"Then why is your face turning red, hm~?" the blunette's voice came sailing.

"I SAID SHUT UP!"

As the three of them disappeared down the street, two figures stood deserted.

For a while, they just stood there awkwardly.

Then finally, one of them opened his mouth. "So... You think Levy's still single?"

* * *

><p><strong>I hope you enjoyed reading The Love Contest! :D<strong>

**If you would like to read more about Edolas characters, I'd love to write about them. Just ask ;)**


End file.
